title: In vitro efficacy of contact lens solutions against various corneal fungal isolates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the susceptibility of different fungal corneal isolates to commercially available contact lens disinfecting solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen filamentous fungal isolates (9 Aspergillus spp, 3 Fusarium spp, 1 Curvularia sp.) recovered from corneal infections were used. The following solutions were tested: Arion Cronos, Complete Revitalens, Dua Elite, Opti-Free Express, Regard, Oxysept Comfort, and Oxysept Comfort without catalase. Suspensions of the different fungal isolates were made in the solutions (10(6) colony-forming units/mL). After 1 h (Arion Cronos only), 6, 8, and 24 h, aliquots of suspension were removed and seeded on Sabouraud agar plates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a 6-h exposure, only 3% hydrogen peroxide-based Oxysept Comfort without catalase eradicated all the fungi tested. All the other solutions were partly ineffective at killing some of the fungal isolates, even after a 24-h exposure. The worst performance was given by Regard and Dua Elite, which, after a 6-h exposure, showed growth of 12 and 10 of the 13 fungal strains tested, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most contact lens disinfecting solutions may not be sufficiently effective, if contact lens care systems become contaminated with filamentous fungi. In our experiment, only an exposure to 3% hydrogen peroxide without a neutralizer for at least 6 h was always able to kill an inoculum of different fungal strains.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgical, Microsurgical, and Medical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy. apinna@uniss.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Jayaraman
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaliamurthy
mesh_terms: D018639:Contact Lens Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018639:Contact Lens Solutions