Layers of tissue encapsulating vascular prostheses recovered from humans were extracted and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine the distribution of genetically distinct collagen types. Type V collagen was in maximal concentration in extracts of tissues nearest to the prosthesis lumen, type III in extracts of chronically inflamed tissue filling the interstices of the porous prosthesis, and type I in extracts of fibrous occlusive or outer capsule tissue. This pattern of distribution of collagen types across the prosthesis wall may have arisen due to the influence of modulating factors originating in the blood flowing through the prosthesis, and factors produced by inflammatory cells chronically present at the tissue-biomaterial interface. The increased proportion of type V collagen at or near the lumen may contribute to the recognized antithrombogenic properties of human pseudointima.