Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites that survive multipurpose solutions are able to adhere to cosmetic contact lenses, increasing the risk of infection

Dolores Hernández-Martínez; Edson Castro Pot; Perla Hernández Olmos; Elizabeth Alejandrina Guzmán Hernández; David Segura Cobos; Sandra Villa Ramírez; Tomás Ernesto Villamar Duque; Ángel Durán Díaz; Maritza Omaña-Molina

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19599

Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites that survive multipurpose solutions are able to adhere to cosmetic contact lenses, increasing the risk of infection

Heliyon. 2023 Aug 29;9(9):e19599. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19599. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Dolores Hernández-Martínez¹, Edson Castro Pot², Perla Hernández Olmos², Elizabeth Alejandrina Guzmán Hernández¹, David Segura Cobos¹, Sandra Villa Ramírez², Tomás Ernesto Villamar Duque³, Ángel Durán Díaz³, Maritza Omaña-Molina¹

Affiliations

¹ Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, Mexico.
² Carrera de Optometría, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, Mexico.
³ Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, Mexico.

Abstract

Amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are etiological agents of amoebic keratitis, for which up to now there is no treatment of choice and one of its main risk factors is the use of contact lenses, including cosmetic contact lenses. Recently there has been an increase in amoebic keratitis cases due to the use of cosmetic contact lenses. Therefore, having a solution for the care of lenses with an efficient disinfectant effect that prevents the adhesion of trophozoites to lenses becomes essential. This study was carried out to determine the effect of 8 multipurpose contact lenses care solutions on Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites viability, and the efficiency of two of them to prevent the trophozoites adherence onto two cosmetic contact lenses (Acuvue 2, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and Magic Eye CCL, not approved). After 3 h of interaction, only AO Sept Plus, OPTI FREE Replenish, Renu Plus, Bio True and Multiplus significantly reduced the number of viable trophozoites with respect to the control; at 6 h Renu Plus, and at 12 h Conta Soft Plus and Multiplus, maintained the inhibitory effect. Only Opti Free Pure Moist did not significantly reduce the number of viable trophozoites. Multiplus and Opti Free Pure Moist (selected for their greater and lesser antiamibic effect) significantly reduced trophozoite adherence to both lenses; however, Opti Free Pure Moist was more efficient, despite the fact that A. castellanii adhered similarly to both lenses. Our results show that in all the multipurpose solutions evaluated, hundreds of viable A. castellanii trophozoites remain after several hours of incubation. Therefore, storage of the lenses in their case with MPS maintains the potential risk of amoebic keratitis in, cosmetic contact lenses wearers. Moreover, the use of CCL, not approved by the FDA, can increase the risk factor for AK since its poor manufacture can favor the permanence of amoebae, in addition to being a risk for corneal integrity.

Keywords: Acanthamoeba castellanii; Cosmetic contact lenses; Multipurpose solutions.