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Updated: Oct 9, 2026
Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation Under Flow using Microfluidic Flow Cells
Published on: October 26, 2009
[Interaction of platelets with an artificial polystyrene surface under flow conditions: comparative study versus
M Carretero1, M Díaz-Ricart, G Escolar
1Servicio de Hemoterapia y Hemostasia, Hospital Clínic i Provincial, Barcelona.
Purpose:
Platelets are known to interact with artificial surfaces, which leads to thrombosis that in turn may hamper repairing surgery. In order to evaluate such interaction, platelet adhesiveness on a polystyrene surface (Thermanox) was studied in an in vitro perfusion model.
Material And Methods:
Anticoagulated human blood was recirculated through a plain perfusion chamber containing fragments of the material under study, uncovered and covered with collagen. The studies were performed at a shearing coefficiente of 800 s-1 and with different timing. Additional blood samples were incubated with an anti- GPIIb-IIIa antibody. Platelet deposition on the perfused material was morphometrically evaluated with a computerized system of image analysis.
Results:
The values attained, expressed as percent surface covered by platelets over the uncovered polystyrene surface, at 2, 5, 10 and 20 minutes, were, respectively, as follows: 10.4% +/- 1.83%, 27.04% +/- 2.32%, 36.04% +/- 3.09% and 61.48% +/- 8.86%; for the collagen-covered material these figures were: 35.2% +/- 1.3%, 47.8% +/- 4.2%, 71.7% +/- 2.4% and 73% +/- 3.2%, for similar timing (n = 7 for each group).
Conclusions:
The perfusion method proved useful for evaluating the interaction of platelets with artificial surfaces. These data show their polystyrene surfaces have high reactivity toward platelets and confirm that GPIIb-IIIa plays an important role in this reactivity.
