Microbial Adherence to Contact Lenses and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a Model Organism for Microbial Keratitis

Abstract

Microbial keratitis (MK), the infection of the cornea, is a devastating disease and the fifth leading cause of blindness and visual impairment around the world. The overwhelming majority of MK cases are linked to contact lens wear combined with factors which promote infection such as corneal abrasion, an immunocompromised state, improper contact lens use, or failing to routinely disinfect lenses after wear. Contact lens-related MK involves the adherence of microorganisms to the contact lens. Therefore, this review discusses the information currently available regarding the disease pathophysiology, the common types of microorganisms causing MK, physical and organic mechanisms of adhesion, material properties which are involved in adhesion, and current antimicrobial strategies. This review also concludes that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a model organism for the investigation of contact lens microbial adherence due to its prevalence in MK cases, its extremely robust adhesion, antimicrobial-resistant properties, and the severity of the disease it causes.

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis

“…7 The FDA noted that Global Pharma Healthcare had not followed current GMP guidelines as the preservative-free eye drops in question were sold in multiuse bottles without a special system in place to maintain sterility. 3,7 In addition, the FDA cited a lack of appropriate microbial testing and proper controls over tamper-evident packaging. There is an appeal to single vial, multidose preservative-free artificial tears.…”

“…Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa gained notoriety after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified the pathogen as a serious threat in 2019 . P aeruginosa is a leading cause of bacterial keratitis worldwide . These opportunistic infections have a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic survival mechanisms that make them challenging to treat and eradicate.…”

“…1 P aeruginosa is a leading cause of bacterial keratitis worldwide. [2][3][4] These opportunistic infections have a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic survival mechanisms that make them challenging to treat and eradicate. Notably, the type III secretion system (T3SS) of P aeruginosa exotoxins exoS, exoT, exoU, and exoY are crucial for understanding pathogenicity.…”

Microbial Biofilms: Applications, Clinical Consequences, and Alternative Therapies

“…Biofilms may be formed in vivo on the posterior surface of the contact lens or the lens storage cases [ 87 ]. The nature of the lens material, how the lenses are cared for, and the environment around the eyes are only a few of the variables that might affect the development of biofilms on contact lenses [ 88 , 89 ]. Bacterial species commonly associated with contact lens-related infections include Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Serratia marcescens .…”

Candida Biofilm Eye Infection: Main Aspects and Advance in Novel Agents as Potential Source of Treatment

“…According to the literature, the risk of complications resulting from the use of soft contact lens subtypes is higher than that resulting from the use of rigid contact lenses [ 61 ]. It has been discovered that several tear proteins, such as albumin, lysozyme, and fibronectin, increase the adhesion of Candida to contact lenses [ 62 , 63 ]. Some studies have observed the existence of a positive correlation between the adhesion to Candida and the level of water in contact lenses.…”