Function of Platelet-Induced Epithelial Attachment at Titanium Surfaces Inhibits Microbial Colonization

The aim of this study was to evaluate the barrier function of platelet-induced epithelial sheets on titanium surfaces. the lack of functional peri-implant epithelial sealing with basal lamina (bl) attachment at the interface of the implant and the adjacent epithelium allows for bacterial invasion,which may lead to peri-implantitis. although various approaches have been reported to combat bacterial infection by surface modifications to titanium,none of these have been successful in a clinical application. in our previous study,surface modification with protease-activated receptor 4-activating peptide (par4-ap),which induced platelet activation and aggregation,was successful in demonstrating epithelial attachment via bl and epithelial sheet formation on the titanium surface. we hypothesized that the platelet-induced epithelial sheet on par4-ap-modified titanium surfaces would reduce bacterial attachment,penetration,and invasion. titanium surface was modified with par4-ap and incubated with platelet-rich plasma (prp). the aggregated platelets released collagen iv,a critical bl component,onto the par4-ap-modified titanium surface. then,human gingival epithelial cells were seeded on the modified titanium surface and formed epithelial sheets. green fluorescent protein (gfp)-expressing escherichia coli was cultured onto par4-ap-modified titanium with and without epithelial sheet formation. while escherichia coli accumulated densely onto the par4-ap titanium lacking epithelial sheet,few escherichia coli were observed on the epithelial sheet on the par4-ap surface. no bacterial invasion into the interface of the epithelial sheet and the titanium surface was observed. these in vitro results indicate the efficacy of a platelet-induced epithelial barrier that functions to prevent bacterial attachment,penetration,and invasion on par4-ap-modified titanium. © international & american associations for dental research.