Adhesion of Albumin to FDA Group I Contact Lenses

Adhesion of Albumin to FDA Group I Contact Lenses

Alvin Sherman Library 2053

Tear protein adhesion can contaminate contact lenses and reduce their effectiveness for the treatment of vision abnormalities.. Protein adhesion depends upon the type of contact lens material, and fluctuates with tear secretion rate and pathology. We examined the adhesion of albumin, a major tear protein, to FDA Group I contact lenses over a four day period. Never worn Optima FW contact lenses (Bausch and Lomb, Inc., Rochester, NY) were incubated in albumin dissolved in optical saline (0.2 mg/ml) contained in borosilicate glass vials. The concentration of albumin in the vials, and adhering to the lenses, was monitored with bicinchoninic acid (BCA). Albumin concentration in the vials decreased on day three, and then regained initial levels. After one day of incubation, albumin adhesion to lenses reached a plateau that was stable through the remainder of the incubation period. This pattern is in contrast to that of lysozyme, which adheres to lenses in an up-down-up-down pattern regardless of lens material. Both albumin and lysozyme adhered to a lesser degree to these lenses than to FDA group IV lenses. These results clearly indicate the need for further studies of this complex interaction.