Etugov D, Mateeva V, Mateev G, et al.
Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents. Date of publication 2018 May 1;volume 32(3):593-597.
1. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2018 May-Jun;32(3):593-597.
Autologous platelet-rich plasma for treatment of venous leg ulcers: a prospective
controlled study.
Etugov D(1), Mateeva V(2), Mateev G(1).
Author information:
(1)Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Sofia, Bulgaria.
(2)Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Military Medical Academy Sofia,
Bulgaria.
Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are chronic difficult-to-treat wounds which affect
around 1-2% of the world population. Conventional methods for treatment such as
mechanical debridement, occlusive dressings and local antibiotics in case of
infection, often lack effectiveness. Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an
alternative method in the treatment of chronic wounds. PRP contains inflammatory
mediators, growth factors, and cytokines that modulate the wound microenvironment
to create a better chance for healing. The aim of this prospective clinical study
was to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional injection of PRP in the management
of VLUs. This study included 23 patients with VLUs. For each patient, two ulcers
located in the same anatomical zone and at the same clinical stage were selected.
One was treated with a single application of autologous PRP. The other ulcer was
used as a control and was treated by conventional methods. The size of the ulcers
was assessed at baseline (visit 0), 15 days (visit 1) and 30 days after the
procedure (visit 2). Results showed a significant reduction of the size of the
ulcer both in the group treated with PRP (mean surface 1368.2 mm2 at visit 0 and
596.3 mm2 at visit 2) and in the control group (mean surface 880.3 mm2 at visit 0
and 582.8 mm2 at visit 2). Statistical analysis showed a significant change in
the size of the ulcer between visit 0 and visit 2 in both groups (p less than
0.0001). The application of PRP in difficult-to-treat venous leg ulcers may be a
promising new method for therapy of this condition. The results of this study
correlate with the data from the majority of previous studies and confirm the
effectiveness of PRP. Nevertheless further research in the area is needed to
evaluate the therapeutic significance of the method and eventually show its
superiority to conventional treatments in larger cohorts.
PMID: 29921386 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Appears in following Topics:
