Contact lens wear alters the production of certain inflammatory mediators in tears

ontact lens wear has been associated with an increased risk; of corneal inf ection and/or inflammation. We studied the hypothesis that contact lens wea r alters the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) on the cornea du ring sleep and the levels of inflammatory mediators in the tear film. Three groups of subjects were analysed: a non-contact lens wearing group (NCLW), non-adapted (neophyte) contact lens wearers (NACLW) who wore lenses during sleep for the first time in this study and adapted contact lens wearers (A CLW) who normally wore lenses on a daily wear schedule. Ocular PMNs were co llected by a non-contact irrigation technique and their numbers counted aft er staining. Tears were collected from each I:roup and analysed using ELISA s for the presence of the PMN chemoattractants IL-8 and LTB4 and the cytoki nes IL-1 beta, IL-6 and GM-CSF. Corneal irrigation data demonstrated signif icantly higher numbers of PMNs from NACLW (P < 0.05) compared to the other groups. ACLW showed significantly fewer PMNs (P = 0.03) compared to NCLW gr oup. The NACLW group had significantly lower concentrations (P < 0.05) of I L-8, LTB, and IL-6 in their tears after 8 hr of sleep compared to the other groups. The ACLW group had significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of IL-8 at most time points compared to the other two groups. The levels of the che moattractant IL-8 and LTB4 in tears were inversely related to the numbers o f PMNs from the corneal surface and the chemotaxis of PMNs in vitro. During one night sleep in contact lenses the numbers of PMNs and the concentratio n of certain inflammatory mediators are significantly altered compared to n o lens wear. However, this alteration changes from NACLW to ACLW. This may have effects on the ability of the eye to defend itself during contact lens wear. (C) 2000 Academic Press.