ADSORPTION OF HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULIN G TO POLY (β-HYDROXYBUTYRATE) (PHB), POLY (L-LACTIC ACID) (PLLA) AND PHB/PLLA BLENDS

Biodegradable polymeric materials can be used as temporary implants and may be able to carry out specific functions for a pre-determined period prior to their degradation in vivo. In order to be used they must present characteristics of biocompatibility. When a material comes into contact with blood, the instantaneous adsorption of protein occurs on its surface. Coverage of the surface by gamma-globulins causes the adhesion of platelets and, consequently, provokes the process of blood coagulation. In this context, the objective of the present paper was to quantify the adsorption of human Immunoglobulin G (HIgG) to poly (beta-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and PHB/PLLA blends using the FTIR/ATR technique. The results showed the occurrence of HlgG adsorption for all three systems, PHB having the highest adsorption density, about Gamma(max) = 2.57 mu g/cm(2), followed by PHB/PLLA blends (Gamma(max) = 0.85 mu g/cm(2)) and PLLA with the lowest values (Gamma(max) = 0.25 mu g/cm(2)).