Acanthamoeba adherence to contact lenses, removal by rinsing procedures, and survival to some ophthalmic products.
Unworn soft and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses were inoculated with an Acanthamoeba keratitis strain to study the protozoon's ability to adhere. Furthermore, the efficacy of the rinsing in saline on acanthamoeba removal was evaluated, as well as the amebicidal activity of five commercial cleaning/disinfecting products: hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, polyaminopropyl biguanide-poloxamine, thimerosal-polyquaternium, and thimerosal-chlorhexidine. Microscopic count of cells showed that Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts adhered to all types of contact lenses. A significantly greater adherence of trophozoites than cysts was recorded. The rinsing in saline using a flow-method was significantly more effective than the immersion-method, particularly in removing trophozoites from rigid gas-permeable lenses. The cleaning/disinfecting solutions tested were ineffective in removing or in affecting the viability of all Acanthamoeba trophozoites or cysts in the 17 hours allotted for the experiment. The need for a better care in mechanical and physical hygiene procedures is stressed.
Cancrini
G
G
Istituto di Parassitologia, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy. cancrini@axrma.uniroma1.it
Iori
A
A
Mancino
R
R
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000469:parasitology*; D004203:Disinfection; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013499:Surface Properties; D000267:Tissue Adhesions
D012965:Sodium Chloride