IMMOBILIZATION OF HUMAN THROMBOMODULIN ONTO PTFE

Human thrombomodulin (hTM) is an endothelial cell-surface glycoprotein and has effective anticoagulant properties. This protein was immobili zed onto polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) surfaces to create biomaterials with enhanced haemocompatibility. The PTFE surface was functionalized by CO2 plasma activation and subsequent vapour-phase graft polymeriza tion of acrylic acid. Surface characterization after plasma treatment, grafting and hTM immobilization was achieved by attenuated total refl ection-fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron sp ectroscopy, zeta potential and wetting measurements. The activity of i mmobilized hTM was estimated using the protein C activation test.