Comparison between high-speed and low-speed centrifugation concepts for standardizing platelet-rich fibrin preparation to improve reproducibility

Background
Leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), a second-generation blood-derived concentrate, has been thoroughly studied. Decreasing the relative centrifugation force during PRF production is said to enhance the contents of cellular and growth factors, which subsequently improves their therapeutic impact.


Aim
To evaluate the low-speed centrifugation concept used in the preparation of PRF and compare it to high-speed centrifugation.


Patients and methods
Eighty healthy volunteers participated in our study, and they were divided into two equal groups (group I and group II). Three noncoagulated blood samples were withdrawn from each volunteer. Two protocols were selected for the preparation of the PRF clot: a high-speed protocol at 2400 rpm for 10 min (group I) and a low-speed protocol at 1200 rpm for 10 min (group II).


Results
The three PRF clots were examined: the first for macroscopic and histological analysis, the second for scanning electron microscopy, and the third for cellular counts using an automated hematology analyzer, as well as for measuring the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor β1 in the fluid exudate produced from its compression. The PRF prepared using the low-speed protocol had higher concentrations of cellular components, vascular endothelial growth factor, and transforming growth factor β1 than those prepared with the high-speed protocol. PRF prepared using a low-speed protocol is sufficient and offers better quality than that prepared using a high-speed protocol.