Biocompatibility of urinary catheters. Effect on complement activation.
The ability of 2 brands of urinary catheters to activate the complement system in vitro as a marker of biocompatibility was investigated. Pieces of a silicone/latex catheter and an all-silicone catheter were incubated in human serum. Complement activation was tested in 2 enzyme immunoassays, one evaluating C3 activation and the other the terminal complement complex (TCC) formation. The silicone/latex catheter caused considerably more complement activation in both assays than did the all-silicone one. The findings are in agreement with previous results of tissue toxicity tests. The methods presented may prove valuable for the practical purpose of testing the biocompatibility of urinary catheters.
Garred
P
P
Department of Urology, Copenhagen County Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark.
Olsen
J
J
Mollnes
T E
TE
Bilde
T
T
Glahn
B E
BE
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003167:Complement Activation; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007840:Latex; D012828:Silicones; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003176:Complement C3; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D007840:Latex; D012828:Silicones; D003165:Complement System Proteins