Protein Interactions with Materials as Related to Thromboresistance

Abstract

An effort is made to explain the high tendency of fibrinogen to adsorb at a material-plasma interface and to relate this adsorption to the material's thromboresistance. Heparin in the adsorbed state acts as an inhibitor to fibrinogen adsorption. Most inanimate surfaces, however, do not spontaneously adsorb heparin and are consequently free to adsorb fibrinogen. Fresh cleaved mica surfaces do adsorb heparin, a fact which is attributed to heparin's affinity for the layer of potassium atoms at the cleavage plane of mica.