Evaluation of antimicrobial properties of leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin: In-vitro pilot study

Leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is commonly used in dentistry to accelerate wound healing in many surgical procedures of soft and hard tissue. PRF is prepared with a single centrifugation protocol and can be applied directly to the surgical site. The immune cells in the fibrin matrix contribute to the prevention of bacterial contamination. Twelve volunteers were included in the study which aimed to improve the antimicrobial properties of PRF with local or systemic application of antibiotics. 5 tubes of venous blood (approximately 7 ml) were collected prior to systemic antibiotic administration. 1 tube was used for total blood count. Two tubes of blood were centrifuged at 2700 rpm for 12 minutes. 0.2 ml of penicillin was added to the remaining tubes before centrifugation. Subsequently, after 1 hour, the volunteers were given 2 g of systemic oral penicillin and additional 2 tubes of blood were collected and centrifuged. In all PRFs growth factors (IGF-1, PDGF, FGF-2 and TGFβ-1) levels were determined by ELISA method. Antibiogram test was performed on S. aureus and E. coli bacteria to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of PRF. The results showed that the local addition of antibiotic application before the PRF centrifugation protocol presented very strong antimicrobial effect (p<0.001) without having a negative effect on the level of growth factors (p>0.001). There was no significant difference in antimicrobial properties between PRF prepared with or without systemic antibiotics. PRF prepared with local antibiotics can be very important as a topical drug delivery system that promotes tissue healing and prevents local infection in the surgical field. In addition, such administration may reduce the need for systemic antibiotic regimens, reducing resistance formation and side effects.