Titanium platelet-rich fibrin (T-PRF) as high-capacity doxycycline delivery system.

Objectives: Titanium platelet-rich fibrin (T-PRF), a second-generation autogenous blood concentrate with tough and thick fibrin meshwork activated by a titanium tube, was used as a drug carrier for doxycycline (Doxy) by injection. The objective of this study is to evaluate the loading capacity of T-PRF, release kinetics of doxycycline-loaded T-PRF, and its antibacterial effects against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.
Materials and Methods: The T-PRF and collagen were loaded with Doxy as T-PRF/Doxy and Collagen/Doxy, and their release and antibacterial activities against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were investigated. Chemical characterization and morphological analysis were performed.
Results: In comparison with collagen, approximately sevenfold more Doxy, 281 mg/g, was loaded into T-PRF. It was found that 25% of the loaded Doxy was released from T-PRF compared to only 12% from collagen within 72 h. The largest inhibition zone diameter (IZD) was observed for T-PRF/Dox with 32 ± 6 mm and 37 ± 5 mm for P. aereginosa and S. aureus, respectively. However, only 10 ± 5 mm and 10 ± 6 mm IZD were observed for bare T-PRF, and no inhibition zone was observed for the Collagen/Doxy group. A dense fibrin structure was visualized on SEM images of the T-PRF/Doxy group compared to the T-PRF group.
Conclusions: T-PRF has higher Doxy loading capacity and long-acting antibacterial effects compared to collagen. T-PRF was shown to have potential autogenous long-term drug-carrying capability for doxycycline. Also, the potential fibrinophilic properties of Doxy were observed to strengthen the structure of T-PRF.
Clinical Relevance: T-PRF is an autogenous drug career with high loading capacity and extended antibacterial effects for doxycycline. Doxycycline molecules can be visible on T-PRF fibers. This study suggests that T-PRF/Dox could be used as a proper antibiotic delivery device in the treatments of periodontitis and peri-implantitis.
(© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)