Background: Knowledge of the relation of biomaterials and living tissues constitutes necessary information which should be used when composing a set of optimal carriers, e.g. for drugs or preparations supporting blood clotting.
Objectives: This paper presents an assessment of the influence of contact of gelatin-alginian matrixes with blood on leukocyte reactivity: the ability of mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and monocytes) to create a radial segmentation of nuclei--RS (the morphological change), and the ability of leukocytes to phagocytosis of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and to produce active oxygen derivatives (functional changes).
Material and methods: After having contact with the matrixes, the test of induced and spontaneous RS, the phagocytic test and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test for blood leukocytes were performed.
Results: The obtained results showed a decrease in the ability of mononuclear cells to form RS and in the ability of granulocytes to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium--NBT, but an increase in their phagocytic activity.
Conclusions: Temporary contact of gelatin-alginian matrixes with blood did not cause any morphological changes in the leukocytes. However, changes of their reactivity were observed.