Agneta Askendal

A wettability gradient method for studies of macromolecular interactions at the liquid/solid interface

A method to make a surface energy gradient along silicon or glass plates, 20 mm long, has been developed. The plates are hydrophobic at one end and hydrophilic at the other with a gradient of increasing wettability in between. The wettability gradient has a sigmoidal character and can be visualized by the use of a capillary rise method. With the use of ellipsometry with sufficient lateral resolution, it is then possible to study quantitative aspects of macromolecular adsorption and interaction at liquid/solid interfaces and to relate continuously the different observed effects to solid surface wettability. In this study the gradient method was applied to the analysis of the surface energy dependence of the adsorption of human fibrinogen, γ-globulin, and lysozyme on the solid surfaces. Detergent-induced desorption of adsorbed fibrinogen and γ-globulin was studied by incubating the gradient plates in Tween 20 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Only small amounts of protein were desorbed by incubation in Tween for contact angles higher than 80°. Desorption with Tween was instead maximal at about 70° for fibrinogen. The maximum of Tween-induced desorption was shifted to the hydrophilic side of the gradient for γ-globulin. Tween 20 had very little desorption effect at contact angles lower than 30°. SDS caused effective desorption of fibrinogen and γ-globulin on both the hydrophobic and the hydrophilic sides of the gradient. The desorption induced by addition of 4 M urea and acid buffer (pH 2.3) was also studied and was shown to be maximal at the hydrophilic side of the gradients although there was a considerable amount of protein also desorbed at hydrophobic parts of the gradient. There were other qualitative differences in the desorption pattern of γ-globulin and fibrinogen which may be partly explained by assuming different degrees of surface-induced conformational changes of the adsorbed protein molecules.

Peptide functionalized poly(l-lysine)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) on titanium: resistance to protein adsorption in full heparinized human blood plasma

The graft copolymer poly(L-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) and its RGD- and RDG-functionalized derivatives (PLL-g-PEG/PEG-peptide) were assembled from aqueous solutions on titanium (oxide) surfaces. The polymers were characterized by NMR in order to determine quantitatively the grafting ratio, g (Lys monomer units/PEG side chains), and the fraction of the PEG side chains carrying the terminal peptide group. The titanium surfaces modified with the polymeric monomolecular adlayers were exposed to full heparinized blood plasma. The adsorbed masses were measured by in situ ellipsometry. The different PLL-g-PEG-coated surfaces showed, within the detection limit of the ellipsometric technique, no statistically significant protein adsorption during exposure to plasma for 30 min at 22 degrees C or 37 degrees C, whereas clean, uncoated titanium surfaces adsorbed approximately 350 ng/cm2 of plasma proteins. The high degree of resistance of the PEGylated surface to non-specific adsorption makes peptide-modified PLL-g-PEG a useful candidate for the surface modification of biomedical devices such as implants that are capable of eliciting specific interactions with integrin-type cell receptors even in the presence of full blood plasma. The results refer to short-term blood plasma exposure that cannot be extrapolated a priori to long-term clinical performance.

Quantification of adsorbed human serum albumin at solid interfaces: a comparison between radioimmunoassay (RIA) and simple null ellipsometry

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and null ellipsometry are two common methods to quantify adsorbed proteins. However, the accuracy of null ellipsometry with a constant protein refractive index (n 1.465, k 0) at l 632.8 nm has this far not been explored. The present study compared the methods, and the degree of agreement between the simplified single wavelength null ellipsometry and RIA to quantify adsorbed proteins was explored on different

On the binding of complement to solid artificial surfaces in vitro.

Since the realization of a complement activation capacity by artificial surfaces upon contact with blood, a common belief has evolved that charged nucleophilic surface groups such as amine (-NH2) and hydroxyl (-OH) react with and eventually bind to the internal thioester in complement factor 3 (C3). A covalent amide or ester linkage is thereby supposed to form between C3b and the surface itself. In this report, we present complement surface binding data by null-ellipsometry for two nucleophilic surfaces (-NH2 and -OH), for surfaces with immunoglobulin G (IgG) covalently bound, and for IgG spontaneously pre-adsorbed to hydrophobic silicon. The results reveal that the plasma proteins that were deposited during complement activation became eluted by sodium dodecyl sulfate. Hence the direct covalent binding between C3 and solid nucleophilic surfaces seems to be only of moderate importance, at least during shorter serum incubations. This strongly suggests that the prevalent covalent linkage model between solid artificial surfaces and C3b is not accurate. Instead we suggest a more pronounced role for C3 associations to other adsorbed proteins and or electrostatic and hydrophobic protein-surface interactions.

Protein immobilization of 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silaneglutaraldehyde surfaces: Characterization by detergent washing

Abstract With the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate, covalent binding of protein was distinguished from nonspecific adsorption to 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES) glutaraldehyde-treated surfaces. In this experiment, APTES was immobilized i a concentration gradient on silicon dioxide wafers, reacted with glutaraldehyde, and then incubated with albumin, fibrinogen, or immunoglobulin G. The so-formed gradients contained both experimental and control surfaces on extreme ends of the wafer, with varying proportions of the two in the middle. Each reaction step was examined by ellipsometry, a sensitive optical method for quantifying thin layers. This “gradient technique” substantially reduced the workload and simplified interpretation of the results. It was found that nonspecific adsorption of protein, especially to hydrophobic control surfaces, was greatly reduced when Tween 80 (a nonionic detergent) was added to the protein incubation solution. With the use of liquid/solid ellipsometry, it was found that the majority of glutaraldehyde and of immunoglobulin G adsorbed to the surface in the first 5 min.

Blood protein interactions with titanium surfaces

Protein adsorption and complement activation were studied on thin evaporated films of titanium (Ti). The surfaces were cleaned in either a radio frequency (RF) plasma unit, or washed sequentially in trichloroethylene, acetone, ethanol, and water. Both methods resulted in hydrophilic surface with low carbon contamination on the outermost oxide (approximately 11-13 at%). In situ ellipsometry suggested that Ti is an intrinsic coagulation activator in vitro, since significant amounts of factor XII (F XII) and high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK) were found on the surfaces after 1 min incubation in heparin plasma. Ellipsometry, performed after serum incubations ranging from 15 s to 30 min showed that the total amount of serum proteins and the deposition of antibodies to complement factor 3c (C3c) increased with serum incubation time. ELISA methods showed increased levels of free iC3b in serum after 10 min incubation of the surfaces, but no detectable amounts of C3 convertase fractions C4d or Bb. Ellipsometric results indicated, however, an increased deposition of antibodies to CIq and IgG on Ti after short serum incubation times. The combined results indicate that Ti-surfaces initially activate complement through the classical pathway. The activation then continues via a positive amplification loop where increased amounts of C3 are deposited on the surfaces via the alternative pathway.

Temporal studies on the deposition of complement on human colostrum IgA and serum IgG immobilized on methylated silicon

The temporal deposition of selected complement proteins from human serum onto immobilized human colostrum immunoglobulin (Ig)A and human IgG on hydrophobic silicon was studied by ellipsometry-antibody techniques after incubations at 37 degrees C for up to 1 h. In parallel experiments the serum soluble iC3b, C4d, and Bb were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. The IgA-coated surfaces showed activation via the alternative pathway, and displayed a lag phase in the deposition of increased amounts of serum proteins, and anti-C3c and antiproperdin. Anti-IgG, -C1q, -C4, -factor H and -factor B were not deposited at any time to IgA surfaces. Upon coating of the surface with IgG, the classical pathway was rapidly activated and bound, then anti-C3c, antiproperdin, and after short serum incubation times, also anti-C1q and anti-IgG. When factor B-depleted or heat-treated sera were used, the observation was that properdin deposited onto IgG-coated surfaces from both. Ellipsometry and antibody techniques offer a convenient and rapid way to indicate the activation of the complement system on solid surfaces and facilitates a time-resolved determination of the activation pathway(s).

Preparation of multilayer plasma protein films on silicon by EDC/NHS coupling chemistry

Abstract Crosslinked multilayer protein films were prepared from fibrinogen, albumin, IgG, a combination of fibrinogen and catalase, and blood plasma on silicon by ethyl-dimethyl-aminopropylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxy-succinimide coupling chemistry. The 4–70 nm thick films were placed in blood plasma and the additional protein deposition measured by null ellipsometry after 5 or 60 min of incubation. The activation of the complement system and intrinsic pathway of coagulation were indicated through the subsequent binding of anti-C3c, anti-C3d, anti-properdin and anti-HMWK on top of the surface bound blood plasma. The proportion of Annexin V, Propidium Iodide and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole positive cells, and the secretion of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were analysed in a monocyte culture. The results show that well known protein coupling techniques can be used for the preparation of protein layers with well controlled thickness. The layers possess low contact activation of blood plasma and induce different release of TNF-α and IL-10 in monocyte cultures.

Complement activation by 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol immobilized on gold surfaces

Thiol-modified surfaces are chemically well defined and suited for surface biological model experiments and biomaterials research. 3-Mercapto-1,2-propanediol (mercaptoglycerol, MG), immobilized on gold, spontaneously binds immunoglobulins from human serum and activates the complement system. The surface-bound complement factors were detected by ellipsometry-antibody techniques. The overall complement activation was subsequently corroborated independently with enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) and sheep and chicken erythrocyte haemolytic complement techniques. EIA experiments indicated elevated levels of C4d, but no significant increase of factor Bb was evident in the test serum from the MG system. The haemolytic assays show that MG surfaces consume complement factors from both pathways. Ellipsometry revealed that immunoglobulin G (IgG) and complement factor 1q (C1q) are transiently antibody detectable on MG after exposure to whole serum by the use of antibody techniques. Complement factor 3 (C3), C2, C4 and properdin could be detected on the surface, but not factors H and B. The total adsorbed mass and particularly C3 antibody deposition were suppressed by using EGTA-Mg2+ serum. The results suggest that MG surfaces initially activate complement via the classical pathway. Other IgG binding surfaces also appear to behave in a similar manner.

Immobilized chicken antibodies improve the detection of serum antigens with surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and other refractive index and mass sensitive methods are, due to complement activation by mouse monoclonal antibodies and with concomitant high background signal, only rarely used for the detection of antibody-antigen interactions in the blood serum milieu. In the present study chicken IgY and mouse IgG were immobilized to a sensor chip CM5 dextran matrix and compared for their background signal and detection of serum antigen. Ellipsometry with antibodies adsorbed to methylated silicon surfaces was used as a complementary detection method. As expected, fundamental differences in binding properties between the two kinds of antibodies were observed. Mouse antibodies bound large quantities of human serum. Human C1q was detected on mouse IgG and the complement system was activated, as seen from the rapid C3 and properdin depositions. Chicken antibodies bound low quantities of human serum and no human C1q. Moreover, C3 and properdin deposited only after prolonged serum incubations. Addition of EDTA to serum reduced the background signal modestly for both IgG and IgY. Serum samples with different concentrations of human C3 were injected over surfaces with immobilized chicken anti-C3, and the response was measured by SPR. Small concentration differences (< 1.25 micrograms/ml) in a physiologically relevant range (1-40 micrograms/ml after 100 times dilution) could then be detected reproducibly. The SPR signal was totally obscured when a mouse monoclonal anti-C3 antibody was used for the detection.