Dynamic interfacial tensiometry of biologic liquids does it have an impact on medicine

Dynamic surface tension measurements of biological liquids with an impact on medicine are scarce. One reason for this deficit is that technologies, e.g. dynamic interfacial tensiometry, for the measurement of surface tension characteristics of a given fluid under dynamic conditions are not easily available. Another reason is that the theoretical background is not introduced to medicine. Finally, normal values of surface tension characteristics of biological liquids using dynamic interfacial tensiometry are not established. We will therefore summarize experimental techniques for measuring dynamic surface tension characteristics regarding its medical application and present some of the theoretical background for these measurements. We will also summarize surface tension characteristics of reference fluids and of serum and urine that were obtained from healthy and sick humans. This data were collected using a modified maximum bubble pressure tensiometer (MPT2, LAUDA, Germany) and applying asymptotic equations of adsorption kinetic theory. We found that surface tension characteristics of serum and urine depends in part on gender and age. In addition, surface tension characteristics changes during pregnancy. Finally, some changes of the dynamic tensiograms as found in serum and urine are related to specific kidney diseases. Our study shows promising results that might become relevant in medicine but points to the need that more research is necessary to establish dynamic surface tension measurements as a diagnostic tool. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.