Platelet adhesion to polystyrene-based surfaces preadsorbed with plasmas selectively depleted in fibrinogen,...

Four plasma proteins have been shown to be able to mediate platelet adhesion to synthetic materials when they are adsorbed as purified proteins: fibrinogen (Fg), fibronectin (Fn), vitronectin (Vn), and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Among them, Fg is thought to play a leading role in mediating platelet adhesion to plasma-preadsorbed biomaterials, but this has been established for only three types of materials so far in our laboratory. Furthermore, the role of Fn, Vn, and vWF in mediating platelet adhesion to plasma-preadsorbed surfaces is still unclear. The aim of the current study was to assess the importance of Fg, Fn, Vn, and vWF in mediating platelet adhesion to a series of polystyrene-based surfaces. The strategy applied in the present investigation was to compare platelet adhesion to surfaces preadsorbed with normal plasma, plasma selectively depleted in Fn or Vn or both Fn and Vn, plasma from donors who were genetically deficient in vWF, and serum. Few platelets adhered to the surfaces preadsorbed with serum, whereas depletion of Fn, Vn, or vWF from plasma did not decrease platelet adhesion significantly. Replenishment of exogenous Fg to serum before protein adsorption restored platelet adhesion to the surfaces, suggesting that Fg was the major plasma protein that mediated platelet adhesion. Also, we found that a surface density of adsorbed Fg far below the amount that usually adsorbs to synthetic surfaces was sufficient to support full-scale platelet adhesion.