Antibacterial effects of previously infected or inflamed vitreous.

The authors investigated the ability of vitreous harvested from eyes previously infected with Staphylococcus epidermidis or inflamed with heat-killed cells of the same organism to support subsequent in vitro bacterial growth. Growth of S. epidermidis and S. aureus was not supported by previously inflamed or previously infected vitreous, but Pseudomonas aerugnosa grew in all samples. These findings suggest induction of an antistaphylococcal substance by infection or inflammation of rabbit vitreous by S. epidermidis.