누액 단백질 침착에 의한 소프트콘택트렌즈의 굴절력 변화

Purpose: The present study was conducted to investigate whether refractive powers of soft contact lenses were induced by the deposition of tear proteins when wearing soft contact lenses. Methods: The soft contact lenses (material: etafilcon A, hilafilcon A and comfilcon A) with refractive powers of -1.00 D, -3.00 D, -5.00 D and -7.00 D were incubated in artificial tear for 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days and 14 days, respectively. After incubation, their refractive powers were measured by wet cell method with an auto-lens meter and their protein deposited on the lenses was determined by the method of Lowry. Results: Among three types of soft contact lenses, the most protein deposition was detected in ionic etafilcon A lens material and significant change of its refractive power was manifested. In other words, refractive powers of etafilcon A lenses firstly decreased after 1 day incubation in artificial tear and then gradually increased with increasing incubation period again. The observed change in refractive powers of all diopters of etafilcon A material was beyond the scope of standard error and bigger in the lens with lower optical power. On the other hand, non-ionic hilafilcon A showed less protein deposition as much as about 20% in etafilacon A and statistically significant increase of refractive powers with increasing incubation period in artificial tear. The change in refractive power of hilafilcon A was also beyond the scope of the standard of error when incubating in artificial tear and greater in the lens with lower diopter. The least protein deposit was shown in silicone hydrogel lens material, comfilcon A as approximately 10% of it in etafilcon A, indicating less change in refractive power within the standard range of error. Conclusions: The large change of refractive powers that was beyond the scope of standard error by the deposition of tear proteins on soft contact lenses was differently detected depending on lens materials in the current study. Thus, the deposition of tear proteins induced by longer period of lens wearing may be one of the causes that induces blurred vision, suggesting that soft contact lens wearers with the amount of tear proteins may need to choose proper lens material.