Platelet-rich plasma preparation using three devices: Implications for platelet activation and platelet growth factor release

Background: In this study, three commercial systems for the preparation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) were compared and platelet growth factors release was measured.

Methods: Ten healthy volunteers donated whole blood that was fractionated by a blood cell separator, and a table-top centrifuge to prepare PRP. Furthermore, an autologous growth factor filter was used to concentrate PRP fractionated by the blood cell separator. PRP was subsequently activated with autologously produced thrombin to degranulate the platelets to measure platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Results: PRP contained significantly higher platelet counts compared with baseline values (p < 0.001). PDGF-AB concentrations were increased more than 18-fold in the platelet gel supernatant when the cell-separator and GPS were used, whereas only a 3-fold increase was seen with the AGF.

Conclusion: The three PRP devices enable the preparation of PRP for the release of high concentrations of platelet growth factor, but showed different harvesting capacities for the collection of concentrated platelets. The administration of thrombin for PRP activation resulted in the release of high concentrations of PDGF-AB and TGF-β but only when PRP had not been activated during the preparation process in vitro.