Adhesion of Lysozyme, Albumin and Transferrin to two Types of FDA Group II Contact Lenses

Objective. To determine the adhesion of three tear proteins to two different types of FDA Group II contact lenses (hilafilcon and omafilcon). Background. Tears contain ~60 different proteins that adhere to contact lenses, causing lens deterioration and ocular pathology. Methods. Lenses were incubated in 2.0 mg/ml solutions of human lysozyme, albumin and transferrin for 1-4 days. Protein adhesion was 50 determined by bicinchoninic acid assay. Results. Lysozyme adhered to hilafilcon lenses in an up-down pattern, with a maximum on day 3. Lysozyme adhesion to omafilcon lenses was high after 1 day and remained high on day 4. Albumin deposited on the lenses in a steadily increasing fashion. Transferrin adhered to Group II lenses in an increasing asymptotic pattern, reaching a maximum after three days of incubation, and then declining slightly on the fourth day. The pattern of transferrin adhesion differed from the patterns observed for lysozyme and albumin adhesion to the same lenses. These results are due to differences in lens material and tear protein structure. Conclusion. Levels of transferrin and lysozyme adhesion to omafilcon lenses are lower than their levels of adhesion to any other type of contact lenses in all four FDA groups, suggesting that omafilcon lenses are better able to resist protein adhesion than contact lenses fabricated from other materials. Grants. Supported by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences and the Health Professions Division, NSU.