Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma plus Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor on the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia

Abstract

Background: Studies have identified platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a novel adjuvant therapy in androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, the efficacy of PRP still needs to be improved. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of PRP plus basic fibroblast growth factor (PRPF) for the treatment of AGA. Methods: This was a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, half-head study. Eighty patients whose AGA was staged Norwood-Hamilton stages III to VII or Ludwig stages I to III were enrolled in the study from February of 2019 to September of 2019. Patients were divided randomly into two groups of 40 patients each and were given the following treatment: group 1, PRPF was injected in the right half and the left half with placebo; group 2, PRPF was injected in the right half and the left half with PRP. The treatment was processed three times, 1 month apart. Hair growth parameters were evaluated by trichoscope monthly until the sixth month of the study. Patient satisfaction, hair pull test, and side effects were recorded during follow-up. Results: Of the 80 patients included in the study, 47 were men and 33 were women with a mean age of 28.96 ± 4.82 years (range, 21 to 46 years). Both PRP and PRPF showed positive improvement (P < 0.05) on hair count, terminal hair, and anagen hair after the treatment. Efficacy of PRPF revealed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) in hair count, terminal hair, vellus hair, and anagen hair versus PRP. There was no statistical difference among any of the parameters in the placebo group. Conclusion: PRPF can be a safe and valuable form of AGA treatment, and has proven to be more effective than PRP. Clinical Relevance Statement: Hybrid therapy of PRP with relative growth factors, such as basic fibroblast growth factor, have prominent efficacy on treatment of AGA. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.