Adhesion of lysozyme and transferrin to Omafilcon A contact lenses

Abstract

Human tears contain ~60 different proteins that accumulate on contact lenses. We examine the adhesion of human transferrin to FDA Group II Omafilcon A contact lenses, fabricated from a biomimetic material whose interaction with tear proteins is not well characterized and for which the consequences of protein accumulation are unclear. Omafilcon A lenses were incubated in human transferrin for five days, and protein adhesion was determined by bicinchoninic acid colorimetry on a daily basis. Transferrin adhered to the Omafilcon A lenses to a lesser extent (~10%) than it did to Alphafilcon A lenses (also FDA Group II). Our previous data indicate the same is true for lysozyme adhesion, with Omafilcon A lenses adsorbing less lysozyme (~25%) than Alphafilcon A lenses. Levels of transferrin and lysozyme adhesion to Omafilcon A lenses are lower than their levels of adhesion to any other type of contact lenses in all four FDA groups, suggesting that Omafilcon A lenses are better able to resist protein adhesion than contact lenses fabricated from other materials.Supported by a NSU President's Faculty Scholarship Award, the NSU Health Professions Division, and the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences at NSU.