Specific sorbents for bilirubin removal from human plasma: Congo red-modified poly(EGDMA/HEMA) microbeads

Abstract

Congo Red-modified poly(EGDMA–HEMA) microbeads were investigated as a specific sorbent for bilirubin removal from human plasma. Poly(EGDMA–HEMA) microbeads were prepared by a modified suspension copolymerization technique. Congo Red was covalently incorporated into the poly(EGDMA–HEMA) microbeads via condensation reactions between the aromatic amine groups of the dyes and the hydroxyl groups of the HEMA, under alkaline conditions. Bilirubin adsorption was investigated from hyperbilirubinemic human plasma on the poly(EGDMA–HEMA) microbeads containing different amounts of attached Congo Red (between 2.5 and 14.6 μmol/g). The nonspecific bilirubin adsorption on the unmodified poly(EGDMA–HEMA) microbeads were 0.32 mg/g from human plasma. High adsorption rates were observed at the beginning, and the adsorption equilibrium was then gradually achieved in about 30–60 min. Much higher bilirubin adsorption values, up to 11.7 mg/g, were obtained with the Congo Red-modified microbeads especially at 37°C. The numbers (as μmol) of bilirubin molecules to albumin molecules adsorbed on the sorbent microbeads were in the range of 15–20, which showed that bilirubin molecules were preferentially adsorbed to the Congo Red-modified microbeads. Bilirubin adsorption increased with increasing temperature. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68:373–380, 1998