Evaluation of plasma PDGF and VEGF levels after systemic administration of activated autologous platelet-rich plasma

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Activated autologous platelet-rich plasma (aaPRP) is becoming a popular therapy to accelerate healing in the field of plastic surgery. Platelets, which are abundant in aaPRP, can release many growth factors including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study aims to examine the plasma levels of PDGF and VEGF in healthy subjects after intravenous administration of aaPRP. Materials and Methods: Nine healthy patients with no prior history of metabolic disease were divided into two groups (control and experiment group). The treatment group which consists of six patients received intravenous aaPRP treatment. The preparation of aaPRP starts with the collection of 24 mL of whole blood in sodium citrate tubes followed a two-step centrifugation procedure and subsequent chemical activation. aaPRP was then administered intravenously to patients. Meanwhile, the control group received no intervention. Venous blood samples were taken before and one week after the treatment and the plasma PDGF and VEGF levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The treatment group showed statistically significant increase in VEGF after 7 days compared to before aaPRP administration. However, the change in PDGF levels of the treatment group was unnotable. Conclusion: The present findings indicate that intravenous administrations of activated aaPRP may increase plasma VEGF level up to 1 week after aaPRP administration.