Protein interactions with solid surfaces following contact with plasma and blood

Abstract Two aspects of blood protein interactions with solid surfaces are discussed. The first is competitive adsorption among the many proteins in the blood. The general factors which determine the composition of the adsorbed layer in any multicomponent protein system are considered and then related to current knowledge of competitive adsorption in blood. The latter pertains largely to the so‐called Vroman effect whereby proteins are adsorbed and displaced from the surface in an ordered sequence. Secondly the possible transformation of adsorbed enzyme precursors into active enzymes by the agency of the surface is discussed. The example of the plasminogen‐plasmin system is used to illustrate this discussion.