Slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus in acute bacterial conjunctivitis in soft contact lens wearers.

In rccentv years,an increase in ocular pathologies related to soft contact lents has been observed The most common infectious agents were Staphylococcus spp. Somes trains produce an extracellular polysaccharidic slime that can cause severe infections. Polysaccharides sinthes is under genetic control and involves a specific intracellular adhesion(ica)locus,in particular icaA and icaD genes. Conjunctival swabsr from 97 patients with presumably bactcrial bilateral conjunctivitis wearers of soft contact lenses were examined We determined the ability of staphylococcus to produces slimer, relating to the presence cf icaA and icaD genes. We also investigated the antibiotic susceptibility and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis(PFGE) patterns of the clinicaÌ isolates. We found that 74,l% of the S. epidermidis strains and 61,1% of S. aureus strains isolated were slime producers and showed icaA and icaD genes. Both S. epidermidis and S. aureus slime-producing strains e xhibited more surface hydrophobicity than non-producings slime strains. The similar PFGE patterns overlapped in S.epidenrmidys straìns with high hvdrophobicity. the similar PFGE pattern were not related to biofilm production. We founds scarce matching among the Staphylococcus spp. studied slime production, surface hydrophobicity and antibiotics susceptibility.