INFLUENCE OF SOLUBLE SUTURE FACTORS ON IN-VITRO MACROPHAGE FUNCTION

Suture materials may interact with immune competent cells and thereby affect localized immunity. Macrophages are central to the inflammatory response and coordinate wound healing. They are also involved in the clearance of foreign material, bacteria and malignant cells. We studie d the influence of soluble factors associated with silk, steel, nylon, polyglactin, polydioxanone and chromic catgut sutures on macrophage a dherence, phagocytosis and the production of lysozyme and tumour necro sis factor. Soluble factors from suture materials influenced macrophag e behaviour in vitro causing cellular activation, functional impairmen t and alterations in secreted levels of the cytokine tumour necrosis f actor and the bactericidal agent lysozyme. Of the six materials studie d, polyglactin had the most extreme effect, causing significant inhibi tion of cell adherence and lysozyme production. Silk also exerted a co nsiderable effect on macrophages, significantly inhibiting adherence. In contrast, steel and polydioxanone media caused minimal inhibition o f macrophage function although, as with all materials, they did activa te the cells. This study has demonstrated that sutures release immunot oxic factors which considerably influence macrophage behaviour in vitr o. These effects may have important clinical implications.