Infection and Immunity

Main objectives of the project:

To obtain an overview of common microbial pathogens associated with ulcerative keratitis in veterinary patients in the Netherlands andtheir sensitivity to antimicrobial therapy.
To evaluate the presence of multiresistant microbial pathogens in healthy and diseased eyes.
To assess the histopathologic effects of corneal crosslinking (CXL), a novel therapy in infectious ulcerative keratitis, on the healthy cornea and evaluate the safety of the procedure.
To develop an equine ex vivo corneal infection model to test antimicrobial substances.
To explore alternative treatment strategies in the management of infectious ulcerative keratitis including corneal crosslinking, genipin, and topical treatment with honey and chlorhexidine.

Scientific approach and research methodology:
This project includes a retrospective analysis of culture results in client-owned dogs, cats and horses which were diagnosed with corneal stromal ulceration at the Utrecht University Clinic. For the evaluation of the presence of multiresistant microbial pathogens in healthy eyes samples will be collected prospectively from all horses that are presented to the Equine Clinic, Utrecht University and several peripheral equine clinics. All studies are and will be performed with informed client consent. CXL is performed on ex vivo (abattoir) and in vivo (terminal pony practical) collected equine eyes and ex vivo collected canine eyes to perform the CXL procedure, including a control group. Results will be evaluated with several (immunohistochemistry) histopathological staining techniques. Microbial samples of dogs and horses presented with signs of infectious keratitis and reference strains of the clinically relevant micro-organisms will be obtained from the VMDC laboratory storage freezer and evaluated against several antimicrobial substances in vitro (e.g. MIC/MBD determination, bacterial killing rates, disc diffusion testing) including; manuka honey, chlorhexidine, genipin and CXL. The possibility of an quine ex vivo corneal infection model will be further explored and when feasible the antimicrobial effect of topical chlorhexidine against commonly encountered pathogens in equine fungal keratitis will be evaluated. Manuscripts will be published in peer reviewed journals.

Contact
Inge Slenter