A rise in the frequency of mutant among keratitis isolates between 1993 and 2021.

Introduction: causes vision threatening keratitis. The transcription factor regulates virulence factors in response to the quorum sensing molecule N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. isolates with mutations are characterized by an iridescent high sheen phenotype caused by a build-up of 2-heptyl-4-quinolone.

Rise in frequency of mutant among keratitis isolates between 1993 and 2021.

causes severe vision threatening keratitis. LasR is a transcription factor that regulates virulence associated genes in response to the quorum sensing molecule N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. isolates with mutations are characterized by an iridescent high sheen phenotype caused by a build-up of 2-heptyl-4-quinolone.

Clinical Characterization and Outcomes of Culture- and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Negative Cases of Infectious Keratitis.

Purpose: To examine the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negative cases of infectious keratitis.

Methods: In this retrospective case series, we evaluated the laboratory and medical records of culture- and PCR-negative cases (2016-2020) reported to a tertiary care center, which were presumed to be infectious keratitis on the basis of clinical history and presentation.

Results: A total of 121 cases with culture-negative keratitis were included in this study.

Can Serum Drops Containing Doxycycline Provide a Supplemental Anti-Bacterial Effect in the Treatment of Bacterial Keratitis?

Purpose: Systemic doxycycline has been prescribed to reduce inflammation and enhance corneal healing in bacterial keratitis. Topical autologous serum drops (ASD) containing doxycycline following oral supplementation may additionally confer an anti-bacterial effect. The potential of this supplementation was evaluated by determining the in vitro susceptibility of bacterial keratitis isolates to doxycycline.

Coagulase-negative staphylococcal endophthalmitis: clinical severity and outcomes based on speciation.

Objective: To identify characteristics and visual outcomes of coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) endophthalmitis in the era after the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study.

Design: Single-centre retrospective analysis.

Participants: Forty-two samples from 40 patients with documented CoNS endophthalmitis.

Double Trouble: An Unusual Keratitis Case of Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella-Zoster Virus Co-infection.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe a case of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) corneal co-infection in a patient with systemic immunosuppression.

Methods: A 77-year-old White man who was recently administered pembrolizumab present with reduction in visual acuity in his left eye from 20/25 to 20/50. There was a known history of ocular HSV keratitis.

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: frequency and risk factors for developing uncommon ocular manifestations.

Objective: To determine the frequency of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) and assess risk factors for developing uncommon ocular manifestations of laboratory-verified HZO.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: The frequency of HZO out of all herpes zoster cases was calculated using International Classification of Diseases codes for patients seen at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from January 1, 2004 to October 31, 2021.

Differentiating methicillin resistant and susceptible from ocular infections using photoacoustic labeling.

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance in bacterial species constitutes a growing problem in the clinical management of infections. Not only does it limit therapeutic options, but application of ineffective antibiotics allows resistant species to progress prior to prescribing more effective treatment to patients. Methicillin resistance in is a major problem in clinical infections as it is the most common hospital acquired infection.

The Short-chain Fatty Acid Propionic Acid Activates the Rcs Stress Response System Partially through Inhibition of d-Alanine Racemase.

The Enterobacterial Rcs stress response system reacts to envelope stresses through a complex two-component phosphorelay system to regulate a variety of environmental response genes, such as capsular polysaccharide and flagella biosynthesis genes. However, beyond Escherichia coli, the stresses that activate Rcs are not well-understood. In this study, we used a Rcs system-dependent luminescent transcriptional reporter to screen a library of over 240 antimicrobial compounds for those that activated the Rcs system in Serratia marcescens, a family bacterium.

Ranpirnase (OKG-0301), a Novel Ribonuclease, Demonstrates Antiviral Activity against Adenovirus in the Ad5/NZW Rabbit Ocular Replication Model.

Adenovirus ocular infections are common ocular viral infections seen worldwide, for which there is no approved antiviral therapy available. Ranpirnase is a novel ribonuclease which preferentially degrades tRNA resulting in an inhibition of protein synthesis. The study goal was to determine the anti-adenoviral activity of topical formulations of ranpirnase (OKG-0301) on adenoviral replication in the Ad5/NZW rabbit ocular replication model.

Fungal Keratitis: Clinical Features, Risk Factors, Treatment, and Outcomes.

Fungal keratitis (FK) can be challenging to diagnose and treat. In this retrospective case series, FK cases presenting at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, USA, from 2015 to 2021 were reviewed for ocular risk factors, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes. Twenty-eight cases of FK were included.

The in vitro Evaluation of the Activity of COVID-19 Antiviral Drugs Against Adenovirus.

Purpose: Presently, there is no approved antiviral therapy for adenovirus (HAdV) ocular infections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased attention has been focused on antiviral treatments. Remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and umifenovir (Arbidol) have been touted as potential antiviral treatments for COVID-19.

Anti-Infective Treatment and Resistance Is Rarely Problematic with Eye Infections.

The treatment of eye infections is very different than treating other body infections that require systemic anti-infectives. Endophthalmitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, and other ocular infections are treated with direct injection and with topical drops directly to the infection site. There are no anti-infective susceptibility standards to interpret treatment success, but the systemic standards can be used to guide ocular therapy if the concentration of anti-infective in the ocular tissue is assumed to be higher than the concentration in the blood serum.

Insect Fungus Metarhizium robertsii Is a Rare Causative Agent of Keratitis.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe a case of keratitis secondary to Metarhizium robertsii, a soil-dwelling fungus with typical insect pathogenicity.

Methods: A Case report.

Results: A 58-year-old man with a ocular history of soft contact lens overwear, poor contact lens hygiene, and ocular exposure to ground well water supplying his house was referred to our university practice for a central corneal ulcer with 40% thinning.

Paradox of complex diversity: Challenges in the diagnosis and management of bacterial keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis continues to be one of the leading causes of corneal blindness in the developed as well as the developing world, despite swift progress since the dawn of the "anti-biotic era". Although, we have expeditiously developed our understanding about the different causative organisms and associated pathology leading to keratitis, extensive gaps in knowledge continue to dampen the efforts required for early and accurate diagnosis, and management in these patients, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. The ability of the causative bacteria to subdue the therapeutic challenge stems from their large genome encoding complex regulatory networks, variety of unique virulence factors, and rapid secretion of tissue damaging proteases and toxins.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Blepharokeratoconjunctivitis.

Purpose: To retrospectively review the clinical characteristics of patients with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) blepharokeratoconjunctivitis.

Methods: Laboratory-proven HSV-2 blepharokeratoconjunctivitis cases were reviewed between 1995 and 2021.

Results: Ten of 725 (1.

A novel, sensitive, and widely accessible besifloxacin quantification method by HPLC-fluorescence: Application to an ocular pharmacokinetic study.

Besifloxacin has been embraced for the treatment of ocular bacterial infections. While LC-MS/MS has been used in investigating BSF pharmacokinetics, those costly instruments are not universally available and have complicated requirements for operation and maintenance. Additionally, pharmacokinetics of besifloxacin in dose-intense regimens are still unknown.

Antibiotics Used in Empiric Treatment of Ocular Infections Trigger the Bacterial Rcs Stress Response System Independent of Antibiotic Susceptibility.

The Rcs phosphorelay is a bacterial stress response system that responds to envelope stresses and in turn controls several virulence-associated pathways, including capsule, flagella, and toxin biosynthesis, of numerous bacterial species. The Rcs system also affects antibiotic tolerance, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer. The Rcs system of the ocular bacterial pathogen was recently demonstrated to influence ocular pathogenesis in a rabbit model of keratitis, with Rcs-defective mutants causing greater pathology and Rcs-activated strains demonstrating reduced inflammation.

Lidocaine Gel Interferes With the Antibacterial Activity of Povidone-Iodine.

Background And Objective: Retina specialists use lidocaine gel as a topical anesthetic. We determined the antibacterial interaction between povidone-iodine (PI) and lidocaine gel using corneoscleral tissue as a solid phase medium.

Materials And Methods: Five pieces of corneoscleral tissue in five trials were inoculated with 1.

Speciation and Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Ocular Infections.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently occurring ocular opportunistic pathogens that are not easily identifiable to the species level. The goal of this study was to speciate CoNS and document antibiotic susceptibilities from cases of endophthalmitis ( = 50), keratitis ( = 50), and conjunctivitis/blepharitis ( = 50) for empiric therapy. All 150 isolates of CoNS were speciated using (1) API Staph (biochemical system), (2) Biolog GEN III Microplates (phenotypic substrate system), and (3) DNA sequencing of the gene.

An 18-Year Overview of Serratia marcescens Ocular Infection.

Purpose: Serratia marcescens is a frequent ocular bacterial pathogen implicated in keratitis, endophthalmitis, and conjunctivitis. We evaluated the risk factors and treatment outcomes of ocular infections due to S. marcescens.

Bilateral Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis in 7 Patients.

Purpose: To report 7 patients (14 eyes) with bilateral Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis (PAK).

Methods: Case records of patients with bilateral PAK were reviewed at a single academic medical center from April 2009 to December 2020.

Results: Seven patients aged 29 to 94 years presented with bilateral P.

Genomic and phenotypic diversity of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from endophthalmitis.

Enterococcus faecalis are hospital-associated opportunistic pathogens and also causative agents of post-operative endophthalmitis. Patients with enterococcal endophthalmitis often have poor visual outcomes, despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. Here we investigated the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of E.

Filociclovir Is an Active Antiviral Agent against Ocular Adenovirus Isolates In Vitro and in the Ad5/NZW Rabbit Ocular Model.

Presently, there is no FDA- or EMA-approved antiviral for the treatment of human adenovirus (HAdV) ocular infections. This study determined the antiviral activity of filociclovir (FCV) against ocular HAdV isolates in vitro and in the Ad5/NZW rabbit ocular model. The 50% effective concentrations (EC) of FCV and cidofovir (CDV) were determined for several ocular HAdV types using standard plaque reduction assays.

Comparison of Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis in Contact Lens and Non-Contact Lens Wearers.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis (PAK) in contact lens wearers (CLWs) and non-contact lens wearers (non-CLWs) and identify risk factors for poor visual acuity (VA) outcomes in each group.

Design: Retrospective cohort study METHODS: Two hundred fourteen consecutive cases of PAK were included between January 2006 and December 2019. Clinical features, microbiologic results, and treatment course were compared between CLW and non-CLW groups.