Abstract P2-14-04: Is the combination of fat grafts and platelet rich plasma effective and safe? An experimental study in rats

Abstract

Autologous fat grafts and lipofilling can be used for breast reconstruction after breast conserving therapy. Fat is considered an ideal filler because of its low cost, ease of harvest, abundance in the human body and low immunogenic and allergic reaction due to its autologous nature. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a plasma fraction, with platelet count above baseline, generally obtained via centrifugation of blood. PRP theoretically promotes tissue regeneration due to fact that it concentrates a greater amount of growth factors essential in the process of tissue regeneration and neovascularization. This paper aims to examine if the association of fat grafts and PRP improves graft viability in female rats, through an experimental, randomized and blinded study, which involved 47 animals. These animals underwent fat graft harvest from their inguinal fat deposits and fat grafting subcutaneously to their cranial region. In 22 animals the fat graft was mixed with PRP and in 25 the fat was grafted by itself. After a 100 day period, the animals were sacrificed and the fat grafts were analyzed using scores from 0 (absent) to 4 (abundant), in optical microscopy by two independent and blinded pathologists, by means of the following variables: fat graft cell viability, fat necrosis, tissue inflammation and fibrosis. Regarding fat graft cell viability, the PRP group scored moderate/abundant in 63% of the cases and the fat graft only group scored absent/slight in 72% of the cases (p<0.05). The PRP group presented lower fat necrosis scores and lower tissue inflammation scores when compared to the fat graft only group (p<0.05). The presence of tissue fibrosis was rarely observed in both groups. Tumors (dermoid cysts) within the fat grafts were observed in 3 animals in which the grafts were mixed with PRP. It is concluded that PRP improves the viability and integration of fat grafts in rats, but more studies are needed to fully understand the exact mechanisms that lead to this improvement and assess the safety of the method for use in humans. Citation Format: Ruffo Freitas-Junior, Alexandre R Blumenschein, Marise AR Moreira, Maria-Auxiliadora PC Cysneiros, Roseana N Pereira. Is the combination of fat grafts and platelet rich plasma effective and safe? An experimental study in rats [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-14-04.