In vitro adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to four intraocular lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the relative degrees of adherence of a clinical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the optic material of four intraocular lenses (IOLs).


METHODS
Center for Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.


METHODS
Intraocular lens optics made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), AcrySof-acrylic, and silicone were included in this study. The IOLs were incubated in a minimal medium with cells of P. aeruginosa for 2 hours and 18 hours. Cells in the 2 hour experiment were prelabeled with 3H-leucine; those in the 18 hour experiments were postlabeled. After rinsing the IOLs to remove loosely adherent cells, we determined the number of cells adhered to coded lenses from calibration curves of disintegrations per minute versus cells per square millimeter. Additional lenses were incubated with P. aeruginosa and examined with scanning electron microscopy.


RESULTS
The adherence of P. aeruginosa in order of increasing magnitude was AcrySof-acrylic < PMMA < silicone 1 < silicone 2. The differences between all groups were statistically significant. The scanning electron microscopy observations were in general agreement with the radiolabel studies.


CONCLUSIONS
The AcrySof-acrylic IOL was less susceptible to primary adherence and 18 hour biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa than the PMMA and silicone IOLs, indicating that this material reduced pseudomonad adherence and the risk of endophthalmitis following cataract surgery.
Gabriel
M M
MM
Biology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30302-4010, USA.
Ahearn
D G
DG
Chan
K Y
KY
Patel
A S
AS
D000179:Acrylates; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular / Q000382:microbiology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012826:Silicone Elastomers
D000179:Acrylates; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate