Research on the anti-inflammatory potential of autologous platelet-rich plasma in patients with knee osteoarthritis at The Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) by determining the concentration of growth factors and cytokines within the inflammatory system in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis at the Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine in 2024-2025. Subjects and Methods: A prospective, experimental study was conducted on 30 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Blood samples were collected and separated into Platelet Poor Plasma (PPP), PRP, and Collagen Type II-activated PRP. The concentrations of TGF-β1, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 were quantified by ELISA. Results: The mean platelet count in PRP (731.55 ± 101.17 G/L) was 3–4 times higher than the platelet count in whole blood (232.35 ± 30.5 G/L) with p<0.001. The concentration of TGF-β1 increased from 4.86 ± 4.39 ng/mL to 64.9 ± 16.1 and 85.1 ± 14.6 ng/mL in unactivated and activated PRP, respectively; IL-1β from 0.20 ± 0.10 pg/mL to 3.21 ± 1.43 and 3.66 ± 1.16 pg/mL; IL-6 from 0.05 ± 0.012 ng/mL to 0.42 ± 0.27 and 0.62 ± 0.21 ng/mL; and IL-10 from 0.053 ± 0.031 ng/mL to 0.222 ± 0.090 and 0.317 ± 0.092 ng/mL. The general trend showed that collagen activation significantly increased the concentrations of all cytokines. Conclusion: Autologous PRP has strong anti-inflammatory potential by modulating the concentration of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. This study provides scientific evidence to support the use of PRP as a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.