MONOCYTE-BIOMATERIAL INTERACTION INDUCING PHENOTYPIC DYNAMICS OF MONOCYTES - A POSSIBLE ROLE OF MONOCYTE SUBSETS IN BIOCOMPATIBILITY

For the in vitro study of cell-biomaterial surface interactions, the c hoice of cell type is crucial. in vivo data indicate that during the h ealing of the implant in the tissues, the pivotal cell types are the m acrophages. These cells, upon interaction with any foreign material, m ight initiate a spectrum of responses, which could lead to acute and c hronic inflammatory changes affecting the biocompatibility of the impl ant. Whether the mechanisms governing the type of evolving inflammator y reaction could be attributed to the macrophages functional different iation mirrored by monocyte subsets during the polymer interaction, is poorly described. This in vitro study, therefore, attempted to invest igate whether different biomaterials influence monocyte cellular activ ity, determined by the myeloperoxidase level and mitochondrial XTT cle avage, and phenotype dynamics characterized by the presence of CD14, R M 3/1 and 27E10 antigens. It is shown that different polymers exert di fferential potential to influence monocytes, both in their cellular ac tivity and their phenotypic pattern. Thus, these findings demonstratin g material-induced monocyte activation and monocyte phenotype modulati on, are suggestive of the monocyte role as reporter cells in evaluatin g the biocompatibility of a synthetic medical device.