Lipid uptake in synthetic vascular prostheses explanted from humans

Previous in vivo studies in humans and dogs have revealed an atherosclerosi s-like phenomenon in which lipid penetration within arterial prosthesis wal l was observed. The primary goal of the present study was therefore to inve stigate the occurrence of this lipid retention in ePTFE prostheses implante d in humans and therefore identify potential risk factors related to this p henomenon. Lipid uptake in 367 ePTFE microporous vascular prostheses explan ted from humans was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The assignment of the infrared absorption features clearly revealed the pre sence of strongly bonded unsaturated fatty acids to the microporous structu re of the prostheses. A one-way ANOVA statistical analysis showed that the lipid uptake in the synthetic vascular prostheses depended on the duration of implantation of the prosthesis and on the sex of the patient. A two-way ANOVA showed that a relationship existed between the estimated lipid uptake and the internal diameter of the prosthesis. These results confirm that th e lipid uptake phenomenon depends on some clinical factors related either t o the patients or to the prostheses' morphological parameters. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.