Growth factor levels in platelet-rich plasma and correlations with donor age, sex, and platelet count

Introduction: Platelet-rich plasma contains autologous thrombocyte growth factors and might be promising for acceleration of dentoalveolar bone regeneration. In this study, it was analysed for platelet counts and growth factor concentrations. Material and method: Platelet-rich plasma was isolated by discontinuous cell separation from 158 healthy men and 55 women aged 17-62 years. One hundred and fifteen specimens (stratified for age and gender of the donor) were analysed for growth factor concentrations and platelet count. Results: The platelet count in platelet-rich plasma (1,407,640 +/- 320,100/mul) was 5 times higher than in donor blood (266,040 +/- 60,530/mul). Platelet-derived growth factor AB (117 +/- 63 ng/ml), transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-1 (169 +/- 84 ng/ml), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I (84 +/- 23ng/ml) were found in large amounts, while platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) BB (10 +/- 8 ng/ml) and transforming growth factor beta-2 (0.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) were found in small amounts only. The growth factor content was not well correlated with the platelet count in whole blood nor with the platelet-rich plasma (r(p) = 0.35). No influence of gender or age on platelet count or growth factor concentrations was discovered (except IGF-I). Conclusions: While there was substantial variation in the growth factor content of platelet-rich plasma, the factors influencing this are still worthy of further investigation. Furthermore, a technique whereby the growth factor content could be rapidly assessed in platelet-rich plasma may be of therapeutic benefit. (C) 2002 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.