Purpose: To determine the importance of surfactant protein D in Pseudomonas keratitis.
Methods: The surfactant D status of wild-type and surfactant D-deficient Black Swiss mice was confirmed by PCR reactions and immunoblot assay. Mouse corneas were infected with one of three strains of P. aeruginosa. At 1, 2, 3, and 6 days postinfection, eyes were scored by slit-lamp examination and bacteria per cornea quantified.
Results: Infected wild-type mice had slit-lamp scores on 3 and 6 days postinfection that were significantly lower than those of surfactant D-deficient mice (p <or= .0185) and only wild-type mice recovered from the infection. On day 6 postinfection, the number of bacteria per cornea was found to be significantly lower in wild-type mice as compared to surfactant D-deficient mice (p <or= .0233).
Conclusions: Surfactant D is important to the ocular innate host defense against Pseudomonas keratitis.