UCSF

Since Choukroun introduced the use of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) for oral surgical procedures in 2000, PRF has been researched as autologous biologic material to aid in accelerated healing, regulation of inflammation and surgical site integrity. Autologous fibrin glue (AFG) was introduced by Sohn in 2010 to fabricate a growth-factor-enriched bone graft matrix, also called sticky glue, for bone augmentation. Currently, PRF and AFG are widely used in maxillofacial surgeries to improve healing and predictability of procedures. Various studies evaluated the release kinetics of specific growth factors (PDGF-BB, TGFβ-1, VEGF and IGF-1) from PRF. However, an evaluation of an extensive array of available growth factors in PRF and AFG has not been conducted. This study evaluated the presence of 41 human growth factors within PRF and AFG and their change over time over a 3-hour period, replicating the potential handling time associated with usage of PRF in a clinical setting. 3 healthy volunteers were recruited from the UCSF Division of Periodontology. Venous blood from each volunteer was collected in three 10ml glass tube and one 10ml plastic tube and centrifuged at 2700rpm for 13 minutes to obtain 3 tubes of PRF and 1 tube of AFG. Each sample was separated into three equal parts and analyzed using a human growth factor antibody array kit. Samples were evaluated at 0, 1.5 and 3 hours after collection. The array data revealed significant peak level concentrations for several growth factors at 1.5 hour and the presence of high concentrations of IGFBP and MCSF R growth factors. The latter growth factors have not been previously reported in studies of PRF and AFG.