Abstract
BackgroundClinical application of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) has been accelerated to investigate early recovery from various musculoskeletal conditions. It involves the promotion of tissue damage repair through the action of multiple growth factors at physiological concentrations. The composition of PRP differs based on many factors, which may include age and gender. Therefore, we analyzed correlations between age, gender, and platelet counts in PRP with growth factors in Japanese subjects.MethodPeripheral blood was drawn from 39 healthy volunteers between 20 and 49 years of age (age, mean ± standard deviation = 33 ± 8.7 years; gender ratio, male:female = 19:20; BMI, mean ± standard deviation = 22 ± 4.0) and prepared through centrifugation (volume, 6 mL per sample). After being activated with CaCl2, the supernatant was stored. The mean platelet count in PRP was 41.4 ± 12.2 × 104/μL. PRP concentration rate (i.e., PRP/peripheral platelet counts) was 1.8 ± 0.4 times. Growth factor levels (platelet-derived growth factor-BB, transforming growth factor-β1, vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, and hepatocyte growth factor) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and correlations with age, gender, and PRP platelet counts were statistically analyzed by calculating Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (r).ResultsAge was negatively correlated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB and insulin-like growth factor-1 (r = − 0.32, − 0.39), and gender had no influence on growth factors. Platelet counts in PRP positively correlated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB, transforming growth factor-β1, epidermal growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor (r = 0.39, 0.75, 0.71, and 0.48, respectively).ConclusionsThis clinical study shows a significant variation of PRP among individual patients and that this variation is influenced by the age and the platelet counts of the subjects. Our data demonstrate that patient characteristics account for the differences in PRP physiological activity.
Highlights
Clinical application of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) has been accelerated to investigate early recovery from various musculoskeletal conditions
This clinical study shows a significant variation of PRP among individual patients and that this variation is influenced by the age and the platelet counts of the subjects
In PRP therapy, various growth factors (GFs) in platelet-rich α-granules and GFs in the plasma as well as adhesion factors/glycoproteins are believed to act on tissue damage; this therapy is convenient and safe for the application of “autologous blood-derived products obtained through blood drawing” (Foster et al, 2009; Tayapongsak et al, 1994)
Summary
Clinical application of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) has been accelerated to investigate early recovery from various musculoskeletal conditions. It involves the promotion of tissue damage repair through the action of multiple growth factors at physiological concentrations. PRP therapy has been clinically applied in orthopedics to promote early recovery for various musculoskeletal conditions and has expanded to include a wide variety of pathological conditions such as muscle strain, rotator cuff repair, knee osteoarthritis (OA), and tendinopathy (Fitzpatrick et al, 2017; Hamid et al, 2014; Reurink et al, 2014; Sanchez et al, 2012; Taniguchi et al, 2018; Zhang et al, 2016). A systematic review (Moraes et al, 2013), which evaluated PRP therapy for the treatment of musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries such as ligament, muscle and tendon tears, and tendinopathies and individual clinical conditions, concluded that evidence is insufficient to support the use of PRP for the treatment of musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries
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