Introduction: Burn is a skin injury causing hypertrophic scars. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) represents a therapeutic method used for wound healing.
Aim of the Work: To study the possible therapeutic effect of PRP on healing of second-degree skin burn and scar formation.
Materials and Methods: This study was done on 70 adult male albino rats, randomly divided into three main groups; I, II & III. Group I included 30 rats that were randomly divided equally into three subgroups; I-A (for blood collection), I-B (control group kept without treatment) and I-C (control group which received a single subcutaneous injection of PRP, then skin specimens were obtained after 1week and 4weeks). Group II included 20 rats in which second-degree burn was induced by heated metal rod then subdivided into 2 equal subgroups; II-A (examined after 1week) and II-B (examined after 4weeks). Group III included 20 rats in which second-degree burn was induced then the rats were immediately treated locally by one subcutaneous injection of 0.4ml of PRP and further subdivided into two equal subgroups; III-A (examined after 1week) and III-B (examined after 4weeks). Skin specimens were examined using light microscopy (H&E, toluidine blue, Mallory's trichrome, anti α SMA and CD34 immunostaining) and electron microscopy.
Morphometric study and statistical analysis were done to measure mean epidermal thickness, mean collagen area percentage and mean color intensity of α SMA and CD34 immunoreaction.
Results: In comparison to the untreated subgroups II-A and II-B, both treated subgroups III-A and III-B exhibited enhanced healing and accelerated scar maturation respectively that was more prominent after four weeks from PRP injection.
Conclusion: PRP is effective in healing and scar maturation of second-degree skin burn.