Surface affinity chromatographic separation of blood cells : V. Retention behaviour of human peripheral blood cells on poly(propylene glycol) bonded agarose columns and its relationship to surface hydrophobicities of the gel beads and the cells

Abstract Glycidyl ethers of poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) 200, 400 or 950 were oxirane-coupled with several kinds of agarose bead as the bonded phase of packing materials. An eluent was composed of 0.09 M phosphate-buffered 2% (w/w) dextran T40 solution at pH of respective isoelectric points of human blood cells. A linear relationship was found between the retention volumes of platelets, granulocytes and lymphocytes on the PPG-agarose columns and a measure of surface hydrophobicities of the cells, Δlog K values, which were determined by using hydrophobic affinity partition. Furthermore, the retention volumes of granulocytes and lymphocytes increased according to the increase of Δlog K of PPG-agarose beads. The retention of these two cells must be due to the hydrophobic interaction with the bonded PPG phase.