Summary. Introduction: Apixaban is an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor developed for the prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic disorders. Laboratory monitoring is not necessary, but the effects on common coagulation reagents and assays constitute clinically valuable information. Objectives: To investigate the effects of apixaban on commonly used coagulation methods, and to evaluate anti-FXa assays for specific determination of the drug concentration. Materials and Methods: Apixaban was added to plasma from healthy subjects in the concentration range 0-1000 lg L À1 , and analyses were performed with different reagents for activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), antithrombin, protein C, and protein S. A lupus anticoagulant assay and an APTT assay with varying phospholipid concentrations were used to study the phospholipid dependence. Results: In general, apixaban showed fewer effects in vitro than have been shown for rivaroxaban, another direct FXa inhibitor. The concentration needed to double the APTT varied between 2200 and 4700 lg L À1, and the concentration needed to double the PT varied between 700 and 3900 lg L À1. The effects on antithrombin, protein C and protein S assays were dependent on the type of reagent. Apixaban did not cause false-positive lupus anticoagulant results. Chromogenic anti-FXa assays showed linear dose-response curves with apixaban. Conclusions: Therapeutic concentrations of apixaban variably affect different assay groups, and even different reagents within an assay group. The effects were much smaller than with rivaroxaban. The use of APTT and/or PT assays to screen the anticoagulant activity of apixaban cannot be recommended. A chromogenic anti-FXa assay can be used for reliable measurements of apixaban concentration.

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This work describes the preparation and properties of hydrogel surface chemistries enabling controlled and well‐defined cell adhesion. The hydrogels may be prepared directly on plastic substrates, such as polystyrene slides or dishes, using a quick and experimentally simple photopolymerization process, compatible with photolithographic and microfluidic patterning methods. The intended application for these materials is as substrates for diagnostic cell adhesion assays, particularly for the analysis of human platelet function. The non‐specific adsorption of fibrinogen, a platelet adhesion promoting protein, is shown to be completely inhibited by the hydrogel, provided that the film thickness is sufficient (>5 nm). This allows the hydrogel to be used as a matrix for presenting selected bioactive ligands without risking interference from non‐specifically adsorbed platelet adhesion factors, even in undiluted whole blood and blood plasma. This concept is demonstrated by preparing patterns of proteins on hydrogel surfaces, resulting in highly controlled platelet adhesion. Further insights into the protein immobilization and platelet adhesion processes are provided by studies using imaging surface plasmon resonance. The hydrogel surfaces used in this work appear to provide an ideal platform for cell adhesion studies of platelets, and potentially also for other cell types.