Corticosteroid eye drop instillation aggravates the development of Acanthamoeba keratitis in rabbit corneas inoculated with Acanthamoeba and bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The role of topical corticosteroids in management of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) remains controversial. Using a rabbit AK model, we investigated whether corticosteroid use is a risk factor of AK. Acanthamoeba (1 × 10⁵/ml) was incubated with two densities of P. aeruginosa (PA; high-PA: 1 × 10⁸/ml, low-PA: 3 × 10⁵/ml) before corneal inoculation. Rabbit corneas were inoculated with Acanthamoeba alone or Acanthamoeba plus PA and administered levofloxacin and betamethasone sodium phosphate (BSP) eye drops for 5 or 7 days. Infected rabbit eyes were evaluated for clinical score and Acanthamoeba by histological examination. Acanthamoeba alone and BSP treatment did not produce keratitis. Corneas inoculated with Acanthamoeba plus low-PA treated immediately with levof

SUBMITTER: Nakagawa H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6731293 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature