FIBRINOGEN BINDING AND PLATELET RETENTION - RELATIONSHIP WITH THE THROMBOGENICITY OF CATHETERS

One of the major problems in the use of catheters is their thrombogeni city, since the embolization of clots near the central nervous system or the coronary arteries can cause permanent damage. In this work we h ave compared the in vivo thrombogenicity of four different angiography catheters and their in vitro activation of fibrinogen binding and pla telet retention. The thrombogenicity of catheters has been evaluated i n angiographic conditions by kinetic evaluation of the reduction of bl ood flow rate through the catheters. The binding of adhesive proteins (fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor [vWF] was studied in vitro using a direct-ELISA technique after circulation of anticoagulated whole bl ood through sections of catheters. The retention of platelets was stud ied in vitro using (111)Indium-labelled platelets. Fibrinogen binding and platelet retention both seem to be good predictors of catheter thr ombogenicity, fibrinogen being the better of the two. The most thrombo genic material has the highest fibrinogen and platelet retention rate. This study also confirms the inefficiency of albumin precoating for t he prevention of fibrinogen deposition. The determination of fibrinoge n deposition by direct-ELISA technique and platelet retention rate is very useful for preclinical testing of catheters. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.