Immunoglobulin A antibodies against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the tear fluid of contact lens wearers

Abstract

%Purpose. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most im portant cause of contact lens-associated ulcera tive keratitis, especially for those who use extended-wear lenses. U ntil now, the presence of specific anti-P. aeruginosa im m unoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the tears of contact lens wearers has n o t been investigated an d is the purpose of the current study. M ethods.T h e levels o f specific IgA antibodies against P. aeruginosa and total secretory IgA (sIgA) concentrations were m easured in tears o f various groups o f contact lens and non-contact lens wearers using enzyme-linked im m unosorbent assays. Contact lens groups were divided into the following categories: daily-wear rigid gas-permeable lenses (n = 23), daily-wear soft lenses (n = 22), extended-wear soft lenses (n = 17), and non-contact lens wearers (n = 23). As a positive control group, we tested tears obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis (n = 5) because the respiratory tract of these persons often are colonized by P. aeruginosa.Results. T he percentage o f nonresponders (< 1 5 U /m l) varied between 9% in daily-wear rigid gas-perm eable contact lens users to 23% in daily-wear soft contact lens users. T he percentage o f n o n resp o n d ers in controls was 13%. The frequency o f nonresponders was n o t significandy different am ong the different groups tested. All patients with cystic fibrosis showed a very high anti-P. aeruginosa IgA response in their tears. W hen analyzing the m ean anti-P. aeruginosa IgA response, a significandy lower level was fo u n d in extended-wear contact lens users (38 U /m l) com pared to non-contact lens wearers (82 U /m l), Total s-IgA levels in the tears of the various groups tested were n o t significandy different. Conclusions.A substantial n u m b er of persons in the population of contact lens wearers tested lack detectable IgA antibodies against P. aeruginosa in their tears and may be susceptible to P. aeruginosa keratitis if the physiological condition of their cornea is compromised. Invest O p h th alm o l Vis

Antimicrobial compounds in tears

“…Tear sIgA levels have been found to be decreased in some studies (Lan et al, 1999; Pearce et al, 1999; Vinding et al, 1987), unchanged (Temel et al, 1991b) and increased with RGP wear, although this normalized by one year of lens wear (Kijlstra et al, 1992; Temel et al, 1991b). Notably in one study, Pseudomonas specific IgA was lower in contact lens wearers although the levels of total sIgA were not different between lens wearers and controls (Cheng et al, 1996). Two studies reported no change in tear sPLA 2 (Hume et al, 2004; Yamada et al, 2006) whereas a third reported a decrease with lens wear (Aho et al, 2003).…”

Tear changes in contact lens wearers following overnight eye closure

“…Comparisons between studies of tear sIgA are not always possible due to the range of methodologies used, subject groups, CL types and wear schedule differences. A recent report has shown that the tears of CL wearers have decreased levels of sIgA specific for the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23). The significance of reduced levels of sIgA is speculative.…”

A General Overview on Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and its pathogenicity

“…Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and inally the migration of Polymorphonuclear leukocytes cells (PMNs) to the cornea to get rid of the pathogen, the low or entry of PMNs cells due to the induction of cytokines that attract these cells, that is, the damage resulting from keratitis by bacteria caused by the factors associated With bacterial settlement, this also results from the response of PMNs cells (Cheng et al, 1996). As a result of the host's in lammatory response to bacterial corneal infection, the response is at the beginning of the entry of PMNs cells that cause corneal tissue breakdown, although it mainly analyzes the injury, as PMNs migrate from the lacrimal membrane and from the iris and peripheral vessels to the areas of the vascular cornea (Hobden et al, 1999;Thakur et al, 2004).…”