title: Salicylate inhibition of acanthamoebal attachment to contact lenses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sodium salicylate has shown potential as a component of contact lens care solutions designed to reduce Acanthamoebal attachment to contact lenses. This study determined the minimum effective concentration required to significantly reduce amoebal attachment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Different concentrations of sodium salicylate (10, 15, and 20 mM) were applied during exposure of unworn or bacterial biofilm-coated hydrogel contact lenses to Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites. Salicylate was applied at stage 1 intervention during biofilm formation on lenses, at stage 2 intervention during amoebal exposure, or at both stages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant reduction in amoebal attachment was achieved when 10 mM salicylate was included during stage 1 alone; however, 15 mM was required for stage 2 intervention to significantly reduce attachment to clean or biofilm-coated lenses. For stages 1 and 2 combined intervention, 10 mM sodium salicylate produced a significant reduction in amoebal attachment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In situ, within a contact lens case, biofilm formation and amoebal attachment would occur concurrently; therefore, stages 1 and 2 intervention would be closest to the real-life situation, thus indicating that 10 mM of salicylate would be an effective minimum concentration for reducing amoebal attachment to hydrogel contact lenses. Inclusion of components in contact lens care solution, such as sodium salicylate, which reduce Acanthamoebal attachment, has the potential to enhance effectiveness, particularly where amoebicidal efficacy may be limited, thus reducing the risk of contact lens-associated Acanthamoebal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Strathclyde, John Anderson Building, 107 Rottenrow G4 0NG, United Kingdom. t.k.beattie@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Tara K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Beattie
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: Angus K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: McFadyen
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000469:parasitology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D012980:Sodium Salicylate / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012980:Sodium Salicylate