Influence of fibronectin on the adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis to coated and uncoated intraocular lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of the modification of intraocular lens (IOL) surface properties on the adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis caused by fibronectin (FN) as the predominant proadhesive glycoprotein of the eye's initial foreign body reaction.


METHODS
University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.


METHODS
Eleven IOL types were tested. The IOLs were of poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylate, or silicone. Some were surface modified with heparin or polysaccharide coating. The IOLs, unadsorbed or preadsorbed with fibronectin (FN), were incubated with [(3)H]-thymidine-labeled S epidermidis Rp62a, and the amount of adherent microorganisms was determined.


RESULTS
Attachment of S epidermidis adhesion to various types of IOLs, both unadsorbed and FN precoated, varied significantly. The attachment to highly adhesive IOLs was almost 4-fold greater than that to low-adhesive IOLs. Attachment to FN precoated IOLs was generally enhanced compared with attachment to unadsorbed IOLs. Heparin surface modification resulted in no or a modest reduction in bacterial adhesion compared with unmodified IOLs. Bacterial adhesion was highly statistically significantly less on IOLs with polysaccharide surface modification.


CONCLUSIONS
There was significant variability in S epidermidis adhesion to IOLs as a function of design, material, surface modification, and FN preadsorption. Application of the findings may foster new developments to further reduce the major complication in cataract surgery, infective endophthalmitis.
Schroeder
Andreas C
AC
Department and Hospital of Ophthalmology, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany. iol@arcor.de
Schmidbauer
Josef M
JM
Sobke
Astrid
A
Seitz
Berthold
B
Ruprecht
Klaus W
KW
Herrmann
Mathias
M
D000179:Acrylates; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006493:Heparin; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular / Q000382:microbiology*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000502:physiology*
D000179:Acrylates; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D005353:Fibronectins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D006493:Heparin; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate