The preferential adsorption of hemoglobin to polyethylene.

Hemoglobin adsorption to foreign surfaces has not previously been considered in studies of blood-material interactions, despite the fact that hemoglobin is the most abundant protein present in blood. A hemoglobin-like protein was detected on a number of surfaces exposed to blood plasma, serum, and red cell suspensions. Hemoglobin adsorption to polyethylene from plasma was found to approximately equal the amount of adsorption of albumin and fibrinogen. The high relative affinity of hemoglobin for polyethylene was further confirmed by adsorption isotherm and direct competition experiments. The data from all four experimental methods support the following ranking of plasma protein affinity for polyethylene: Hemoglobin greater than fibrinogen greater than albumin congruent to gamma-globulin.