Search

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of several contact lens (CL) care solutions on the removal of proteins and lipids, and how deposit removal impacts bacterial adhesion and solution disinfection., Methods: Lysozyme and lipid deposition on three ortho-k (rigid) and two soft CL materials were evaluated using an ELISA kit and gas chromatography respectively. Bacterial adhesion to a fluorosilicone acrylate material using Pseudomonas aeruginosa with various compositions of artificial tear solutions (ATS), including with denatured proteins, was also investigated. The impact of deposition of the different formulations of ATS on biofilm formation was explored using cover slips. Finally, the lysozyme and lipid cleaning efficacy and disinfection efficacy against P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus of four different contact lens care solutions were studied using qualitative analysis., Results: While maximum lysozyme deposition was observed with the fluorosilicone acrylate material (327.25 ± 54.25 µg/lens), the highest amount of lipid deposition was recorded with a fluoro-siloxanyl styrene material (134.71 ± 19.87 µg/lens). Adhesion of P. aeruginosa to fluorosilicone acrylate lenses and biofilm formation on cover slips were significantly greater with the addition of denatured proteins and lipids. Of the four contact lens care solutions investigated, the solution based on povidone-iodine removed both denatured lysozyme and lipid deposits and could effectively disinfect against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus when contaminated with denatured proteins and lipids. In contrast, the peroxide-based solution was able to inhibit P. aeruginosa growth only, while the two multipurpose solutions were unable to disinfect lenses contaminated with denatured proteins and lipids., Conclusion: Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation is influenced by components within artificial tear solutions depositing on lenses, including denatured proteins and lipids, which also affects disinfection. The ability of different solutions to remove these deposits should be considered when selecting systems to clean and disinfect ortho-k lenses., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: KY, KS, RH, YM are all employees of OPHTECS Corporation, Japan. KY is named on a patent on a contact lens solution studied in this manuscript. LJ has received research funds from Alcon, Azura Ophthalmics, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Essilor, Hoya, iMedPharma, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Menicon, Novartis, Ophtecs, Ote Pharma, Santen, SightGlass, SightSage, Topcon, Visioneering Tech Inc, Lectureship Honoraria from Alcon, CooperVision and J&J Vision and is on the advisory board of Alcon, CooperVision, J&J Vision, Novartis, Ophtecs and Visioneering Tech Inc. AH has received lectureship honoraria from J&J Vision and served as a consultant for Labtician Thea., (Copyright © 2023 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To understand the effects of long-term deposition of tear film components on the surface and optical properties of orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses, two different lenses, Brighten 22 and Optimum Extra, were tested here., Methods: Ortho-k lenses were immersed in artificial tears and cleaned with a commercial care solution repeatedly for up to 90 days. Both the daily and accumulated lysozyme deposition amounts using an Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay were then analyzed. The base curve, central thickness, power, and transmission of visible light, ultraviolet A, and ultraviolet B were analyzed before and after repeated tear film component deposition procedures. The surface roughness using atomic force microscopy was observed and an energy dispersive spectrometer was used to analyze the composition of the deposits., Results: The highest levels of lysozyme were adsorbed on both lens materials during the first four days of the procedure and became saturated by day 6. For both lens materials, contamination on the lenses was easily observed by day 30, and the degree of surface roughness was higher. The transmission levels of different light spectrums were reduced showing that the optical characteristics of both lenses were also affected., Conclusions: The results provide in vitro evidence that lysozyme could not be completely removed from orthokeratology lenses. Both surface and optical properties were affected by the deposition of tear film components. However, only one commercial multipurpose care solution was used to clean the lens in this study when the main ingredient was a surfactant, and the results might be different when other care regimens with other key ingredients are used. In addition, whether tear film component deposition might result in increased risks of infection or corneal abrasion will require further investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is frequently formulated in eye drops to improve the stability of the tear film by hydration and lubrication. Mucoadhesion is related to the ocular residence time and therefore to the effectiveness of the eye drops. The ocular residence time of the HA formulation is correlated with the ability of HA to create specific strong interactions in the ocular surface with the mucus layer, mainly composed of a mixture of secreted mucins (MUC; gel forming MUC5AC and MUC2) and shed membrane-bound soluble mucins (MUC1, MUC4, and MUC16). Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial pathology of the preocular tear film with possible damage to the ocular surface classified in two types: (1) aqueous-deficient dry eye and (2) evaporative dry eye, caused by a decrease in goblet cell density that reduces MUC expression and/or by meibomian gland dysfunction, that results in a drop in the lipidic fraction of the tear film. In this work, the binding affinity between HA and MUC2 has been evaluated with three complementary approaches because the secreted MUCs play a pivotal role in the viscoelastic properties of the tear film: 1. Rheological analysis, measuring the mucoadhesive index and the complex viscosity in relation to MM (Molecular Mass) and concentration; 2. Fluorescence analysis, using a fluorescent hydrophobic probe, to investigate the conformational change of MUC2 during the interaction with the HA polymer; 3. Surface plasmon resonance analysis, used to measure the affinity between MUC2 (immobilized on the surface of a sensor chip) and the HA polymers that flowed on it at the molecular level. For all these tests, the mucoadhesive performance of the natural HA linearly increases with the MM, whereas cross-linked HA and other emollient and gelling agents (formulated in artificial tears) do not show the same mucoadhesive properties (with the exception of xanthan gum). The mucoadhesive performance of high MM HA has also been confirmed in conditions that simulate the pathological condition of the tear film during DED by decreasing the MUC2 or oleic acid concentration. Physico-chemical analysis of a series of marketed artificial tears confirms the linear correlation between the MM of the HA used in the products and the mucoadhesive index measured on the ocular surface model., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:At the time of the study: Cristian Guarise, Laura Acquasaliente, Gianfranco Pasut, Mauro Pavan, Matteo Soato, Giacomo Garofolin, Riccardo Beninatto, Elena Giacomel, Eleonora Sartori and Devis Galesso were full-time employees of Fidia Farmaceutici SpA. Elena Giacomel was in a thesis internship at Fidia Farmaceutici SpA. The activities of Laura Acquasaliente and Gianfranco Pasut were paid by Fidia Farmaceutici SpA., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: To assess the effects of different condition-induced changes on current and novel ocular surface metrics., Methods: Eighty-four healthy volunteers (22.4 ± 2.6 years) participated in this study. The ocular surface and tear film response to (1) computer use, (2) contact lens insertion and (3) tear film instillation during computer use with contact lenses were assessed. Current metrics included the ocular surface disease (OSDI) questionnaire, 5-item dry eye questionnaire (DEQ-5), bulbar redness, tear meniscus height (TMH) and non-invasive keratograph break-up time (NIKBUT). Novel metrics included the lipid layer thickness obtained from the intensity of the reflected Placido disk and the speed of tear film particles post-blink., Results: Higher dry eye symptoms, TMH and bulbar redness, and lower values in metrics related to the intensity of the Placido disk pattern and to particle speed were found after the computer reading task (p < 0.036). When a contact lens was fitted, lower TMH, NIKBUT and particle speed metrics were obtained (p < 0.044). Mixed ANOVA revealed that artificial tears significantly ameliorated the effect of computer reading on OSDI, DEQ-5, NIKBUT, metrics related to the intensity of the Placido disk pattern and metrics related to particle speed (p < 0.033)., Conclusions: Computer use and contact lens wear worsened dry eye signs and symptoms, but artificial tears ameliorated this effect. Newly developed methods can serve as a tool to detect changes in the tear film triggered by different ocular surface-disturbing conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

We present an approach to enable the sensitive and specific detection of biomarkers in undiluted tears in the eye using an aptamer-based graphene affinity nanosensor. The nanosensor is a graphene field-effect transistor, in which a nucleic acid aptamer and a biomolecule-permeable polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanolayer are immobilized on the graphene surface. The aptamer is capable of specifically recognize the target biomarker and induce a change in the carrier concentration of the graphene, which is measured to determine the biomarker concentration. The PEG nanolayer minimizes nonspecific adsorption of background molecules in the sample that would otherwise interfere with the biomarker detection. Experimental results show that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), an inflammatory cytokine, can be sensitively and specifically detected in undiluted artificial tears with a limit of detection of 0.34 pM. This ability to detect and measure biomarkers in undiluted physiological fluids allows the nanosensor to be potentially used in applications where sample dilutions are not practical, such as wearable measurements of tear-borne biomarkers in the eye., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inadequate meibomian glands (MGs) secretion can lead to dry eye signs and symptoms. Tear film lipid layer (TFLL) secreted by MGs protects and prevents rapid evaporation of tear film. The purpose was to assess TFLL alteration and function in patients with evaporative dry eye (EDE) using tear interferometry after optimal pulse light technology (OPT) intense pulsed light (IPL)., Methods: This prospective randomized examiner-masked sham- controlled study included 86 participants (142 eyes) with DED. IPL or sham procedure was performed on day 0, 21, and 42. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), non-invasive breakup time (NITBUT), interferometric fringe pattern determined TFLL quality, fluorescein staining (FS), and meibum gland (MG) were assessed at day 0, 21, 42 and 3-month., Results: At 3-month, TFLL, NITBUT, MG drop-out, MG quality, MG expressibility, FS and OSDI improved significantly (P < 0.05) in the IPL group, while the sham group had no significant improvements. Except for Meibo-score and FS, all parameters significantly correlated with the improvement in TFLL following IPL treatment. Additionally, artificial tears usage was significantly less in the IPL group from D-42 onwards., Conclusion: IPL treatment demonstrated the ability to improve TFLL quality and clinically reduced sign and symptoms of DED thereby reducing the frequency of artificial tears use., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The use of contact lenses (CL) is often associated with hallmark symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) such as red eye and dryness. Even though lipid-based artificial tears are already marketed for DED, there is little evidence that supports their use while wearing soft CL., Methods: An oil in water (O/W) nanoemulsion was formulated with a highly-stable oily phase composed of castor oil and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). Physicochemical characterization of the DMPC-based nanoemulsion (DMPC-NE) was performed using the Zetasizer Nano ZSP, and its long-term stability was evaluated over 24 months; in addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of DMPC-NE was determined by Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Finally, the physical compatibility of the DMPC-NE with soft CL was tested by measuring the power, diameter, thickness and UV transmittance of two different types of CL., Results: DMPC-NE had a mean particle size of 86.48 ± 4.22 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.22 ± 0.01 and a zeta potential of -33.23 ± 0.93 mV that remained with no changes after 24 months. DMPC-NE formulation, free of preservatives, showed no cytotoxicity and it was compatible with the physical properties of FDA-class II and -class IV CL., Conclusion: DMPC-NE is a highly stable formulation for dry eye that is safe to be used while wearing soft CL., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To explore the journey taken by patients in a range of different countries to manage their dry eye symptoms., Method: Members of the general public who responded positively to the question "Do your eyes ever feel dry?" completed a questionnaire describing their demographics, the impact of their symptomology, the advice they have received and the management options they have tried. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was also completed., Results: A total of 916 individuals (Canada = 235, Mexico = 127, New Zealand = 157, Taiwan = 246, UK = 151) of similar age distribution (median 38 years, IQR: 27-50) completed the survey. The reported duration of symptoms was longest in Canada (median 4 years, range 2-10) and least in Taiwan (2 years, range 1-3; p < 0.001), and similar trends were observed for symptom severity (p = 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between countries with respect to the impact of symptoms on quality of life (median 3/10; p = 0.08). Less than half of the individuals in any country had consulted with a health professional. About half had tried a treatment for their dry eye symptoms, with artificial tears being the most common treatment, followed by warm compresses, and both therapies were rated as reasonably effective (median 5-7/10)., Conclusion: Many people with dry eye symptoms are not consulting health care professionals who can confirm the diagnosis, exclude differential diagnoses, and offer a wide range of treatments targeted at the dry eye subtype., (Copyright © 2021 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To understand the safety of treating contact lens (CL) discomfort with a new artificial tear when it is directly applied to a CL-wearing eye., Methods: This was a two-week, two-visit, double-masked study that randomized participants with CL discomfort to use Systane Complete (artificial tear), Sensitive Eyes (rewetting drop), or no treatment. Drops were applied before, twice during, and after CL use each day. Corneal staining served as the primary safety metric. Conjunctival staining, tear break-up time, Schirmer's test, CL comfort (Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 [CLDEQ-8]), and dry eye symptoms (Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness [SPEED]) were also evaluated., Results: This study recruited 73 participants with a mean age of 30.3 ± 11.5 years; 18 % of the participants were male. There were no significant changes in ocular surface signs from baseline or between the artificial tear and rewetting drop groups after two weeks (p ≥ 0.05). Participants in the artificial tear and rewetting drop groups had significant improvements in CLDEQ-8 scores after two weeks of treatment compared with baseline (p < 0.0001), though scores for this test were not significantly different between these groups after two weeks (p = 0.94). CLDEQ-8 scores were significantly better in the artificial tear and rewetting drop groups compared with no treatment after two weeks (p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Both drops were found to be safe for use with CLs while also significantly improving ocular symptoms compared to no treatment after two weeks of use., (Copyright © 2020 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of artificial tears and warm compress with an eyelid warming mask (EWM) in alleviating dry eye syndrome (DES) in contact lens wearers METHODS: This study was a prospective, randomized, active-controlled trial. Participants included 81 university students aged 19 or over, who had been wearing contact lenses for more than 1 year; they were randomly categorized into three groups. In the artificial tear group, one single-use artificial tear was administered every day as needed over a period of 4 weeks. In the EWM group, participants were instructed to apply a warm compress using a disposable EWM for 30 min before bedtime daily. Participants in the control group maintained their normal lifestyle without any treatment regimen. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Schirmer test scores for all participants were checked before the experiment and after 4 weeks., Results: After treatment, the EWM and artificial tears group had significantly decreased OSDI scores compared with the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the former two groups. The post-treatment Schirmer test scores for the right eye did not differ between three groups, whereas those for the left eye were significantly higher in the two treatment groups than in the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the EWN and artificial tears groups., Conclusion: Contact lens wearers who were instructed to apply a warm compress using EWM had significantly increased OSDI and Schirmer test scores, indicating that it has a positive effect on DES. In conclusion, applying a warm compress with EWM can be recommended as a treatment for DES in contact lens wearers who use lenses for an extended period., (Copyright © 2020 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to review the safety and efficacy of topical artificial tears and rewetting drops with contact lenses (CLs) and the ocular surface., Methods: Manuscripts were obtained by searching PubMed with the term "contact lens" and "artificial tears" or "rewetting drops" or "lubricant". Recovered texts were searched to find additional references. No date exclusions were applied, though only articles written in English were included., Results: Preserved and non-preserved artificial tears and rewetting drops are commonly used before and after, and sometimes directly with CLs to treat CL discomfort, or ocular surface disease and to minimize the impact of wearing a CL. Data suggest that all of these products are generally safe and effective and have a minimal impact on the ocular surface when used with CLs, especially if the drops are preservative free. Data likewise suggests that comfort drops may keep CLs cleaner and improve ocular surface health., Conclusion: Over-the-counter, topical, artificial tears and rewetting drops are safe and effective to use with CLs. Non-preserved drops should be used when possible to avoid eye irritation; however, if preservative-containing drops are used, preservatives that have demonstrated safety profiles should be selected rather than drops containing benzalkonium chloride or thimerosal., (Copyright © 2020 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)