Human monocyte/macrophage adhesion, macrophage motility, and IL-4-induced foreign body giant cell formation on silane-modified surfaces in vitro

A cytokine‐based, in vitro model of foreign body giant cell (FBGC) formation was utilized to examine the effect of biomaterial surface chemistry on the adhesion, motility, and fusion of monocytes and macrophages. Human monocytes were cultured for 10 days on 14 different silane‐modified glass surfaces, during which time the cells assumed the macrophage phenotype. The adhesion of monocytes and macrophages during the culture period decreased by an average of ∼50%, with the majority of cell loss observed during days 1–3. Most important, the adhesion of monocytes and macrophages was surface independent except for two surfaces containing terminal methyl groups, which decreased adhesion levels. Interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) were added to the medium to induce FBGC formation and enhance macrophage adhesion, respectively. Surprisingly, GM‐CSF decreased long‐term monocyte/macrophage adhesion. IL‐4‐induced FBGC density was strongly influenced by the surface carbon content, as determined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In contrast, contact angle and surface energy displayed no correlation with FBGC formation. The motility of adherent macrophages, as measured by time‐lapse confocal microscopy, was not affected significantly by differences in surface chemistry or the addition of cytokines. The surface dependence of FBGC formation is hypothesized to be the result of varying levels of silane‐derived surface carbon. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 41, 171–184, 1998.