title: The Influence of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking on Conjunctival Flora.
abstract: To investigate the influence of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) on conjunctival flora.
  
  
  
  Included in this study were 42 patients, all of whom were treated with CXL for progressive keratoconus (KC). Conjunctival swab samples were collected under operating-room conditions immediately before and immediately after the procedure. Samples were quickly immersed in Amies Transport Medium (ATM), transferred to the microbiology laboratory, diluted, and inoculated into three areas each of blood agar, chocolate agar, eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar, and Saboraud-Dextrose agar plates. Inoculated plates were incubated at 35°C for 24-48 h. Preliminary species identification of isolated bacterial colonies was based on catalase and oxidase tests, Gram staining, and colony morphology. Definitive identification of isolates was made with Vitek-II fully automated identification kits.
  
  
  
  Cultures were positive in 24 (57.1%) preoperative and 10 (23.8%) postoperative samples (p ˂ 0.05). Microorganisms isolated from preoperative conjunctival samples included coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) spp. in 23 (54.8%) samples, S. aureus in three (7.1%), Moraxella spp. in two (4.8%), Streptococcus spp. in three (7.1%), Corynebacterium spp, in one (2.4%), Micrococcus spp. in one (2.4%), and Candida spp. in one (2.4%). Microorganisms isolated from postoperative conjunctival samples included CNS spp. in nine (21.4%) samples, S. aureus in one (2.4%), Corynebacterium spp. in two (4.8%), and Acinetobacter spp. in one (2.4%).
  
  
  
  CXL appears to have a significant impact on conjunctiva flora.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Medical Faculty, Inonu University , Malatya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Medical Faculty, Inonu University , Malatya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Abuzer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Microbiology , Malatya State Hospital , Malatya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayten
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Medical Faculty, Inonu University , Malatya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Tongabay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cumurcu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Medical Faculty, Inonu University , Malatya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Göksel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunduz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000382:microbiology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Antimicrobial; conjunctival flora; crosslinking; keratoconus; riboflavin