Ca. Lawinbrussel et al., SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF THE EARLY HOST INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN EXPERIMENTAL PSEUDOMONAS KERATITIS AND CONTACT-LENS WEAR, Cornea, 14(4), 1995, pp. 355-359
Because contact lens were causes changes in tear film and corneal meta
bolism and can render the cornea susceptible to bacterial invasion, we
examined the role of contact lens wear in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.
aeruginosa) keratitis and its relation to the early defense mechanism,
specifically whether the acute polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) resp
onse is altered by contact lens wear. Thirty-three rabbit eyes were ex
amined in an experimental model for P. aeruginosa keratitis. The devel
opment of bacterial invasion and PMN migration into the wound was stud
ied during various time intervals in either the presence or absence of
a soft hydrogel contact lens (SCL). Scanning electron microscopy reve
aled massive PMN accumulation in the P. aeruginosa-inoculated corneas
without SCL and some, but distinctively fewer, PMNs in the bacteria-in
oculated eyes with SCL. These observations demonstrate that P. aerugin
osa inoculation evokes massive PMN reaction and suggests that SCL wear
actually delays this early host inflammatory response. Thus, SCL wear
seems to act as a barrier for the PMNs that presumably derive from th
e tear film.