Albumin-coated polyester arterial prostheses: is xenogenic albumin safe?

This paper adds a new dimension to the series of studies concerned with the development of an albumin-coated polyester vascular prosthesis by addressing the question of the origin of the albumin. Previous experiments in dogs have used canine albumin-coated polyester arterial grafts. This study evaluated the biocompatibility of xenogenic material by implanting in dogs prostheses coated with bovine albumin and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Two series of albuminated grafts, one gamma radiation sterilized, the other ethylene oxide sterilized, as well as a preclotted control series were undertaken. The origin of the albumin did not appear to be significant. In fact, the healing pattern of the xenogenic albumin coated grafts was identical to that found previously with isogenic albumin. Nor did the method of sterilization produce significantly different pathological results. However, a slower rate of healing with the coated grafts compared to the preclotted controls did appear to be related to the slow rate of albumin erosion and the potentially cytotoxic effect of the glutaraldehyde cross-linking agent.