ABSTRACT

Fibrinogen adsorption to biomaterials surfaces probably plays a key role in mediating cellular interactions that are central events in determining the biocompatibility of these materials. Fibrinogen is well known to be a major mediator of platelet adhe­ sion and aggregation because of its binding to the platelet Ilb /IIIa receptor [1-7] and it is, therefore, thought to play an important role in blood compatibility of

materials because of its propensity to adsorb to surfaces. Fibrinogen could also be important in bacterial infection and in the foreign body reaction. Thus, for example, preadsorption of fibrinogen has been shown to cause increased adhesion of bacteria [8] and common staphylococcus cause clumping and clotting of fibrinogen [9]. More recently, several different bacteria have been shown to bind to fibrinogen [10, 11] as well as to fibronectin [12] through specific receptors. The ability of bacteria to adhere to fibrinogen or fibrin or fibronectin in blood clots provides a likely way for these organisms to overcome normal clearance mechanisms. A role for fibrinogen in macrophage or neutrophil adhesion in the foreign body reaction has not been shown as yet, but the extracellular fluid in peritoneal exudate includes some fibrinogen. For all these reasons, the behavior of fibrinogen on surfaces has been the subject of many studies in this and several other laboratories.