Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), a self-clotted preparation of platelet-concentrated, blood-derived biomaterials, is prepared solely by contact activation of intrinsic coagulation pathways through centrifugation without addition of coagulation factors [1, 2].
There is no doubt that the functional states observed in freshly isolated platelets are the best for preparation of platelet concentrates and for their best clinical performance.
Here, it is worth discussing which functional states of platelets are expected to be maintained during storage for subsequent preparation of platelet concentrates (to be used for regenerative therapy).
For preparation of platelet-poor plasma (PPP), blood samples (~9.0 mL) were collected from the same volunteers by means of plastic vacuum blood collection tubes (Neotube®; NIPRO, Osaka, Japan) equipped with 21-gauge needles, in the presence of 1.0 mL acid citrate dextrose solution-A formulation (ACD-A; Terumo, Tokyo, Japan), an anticoagulant [8, 10].
Blood was collected from healthy volunteers, who did not use aspirin in the preceding 10 days, in 1/10 volume of 0.13 M sodium citrate and used for the preparation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
It is therefore important to develop a method to minimize platelet activation during the preparation of platelet concentrates [ 19].
The tube method presents some technical inconveniences that are related to the risk of bacterial contamination during the preparation of platelet concentrate.
Blood for the preparation of platelet-poor citrated plasma was collected, immediately placed on ice and centrifuged within 30 minutes (maternal samples) to 1 hour (cord blood samples) for determination of PAI-1, PAI-2, tPAag and vWF.
Proper healing is also influenced by appropriate preparation of platelet-rich plasma, starting from proper collection of peripheral blood and optimum centrifugation parameters and ending at the administration procedure itself [ 12– 25, 25– 28, 30, 35– 58].
The process for preparation of platelet-rich plasma generates much less costs compared to genetic engineering methods used in preparation of recombinant growth factors while the autologous nature of the product eliminates the risk of transmission of viral infections, such as hepatitis virus or HIV infection.
