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Platelet-Rich Plasma in Alopecia Areata-A Steroid-Free Treatment Modality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary. Centre for Translational Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Hospital, 1106 Budapest, Hungary. Institute for Translational Medicine, Medical School, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary. Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary. Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary. Division of Pancreatic Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary.

Biomedicines. 2022;10(8)
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that can lead to a serious deterioration in patients' quality of life. The first line of treatment in patchy AA is triamcinolone acetonide (TrA); however, the efficacy of the treatment varies greatly. Our aim was to investigate the therapeutic effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of AA. METHOD We performed a systematic literature search in four databases. Randomized clinical trials (RCT) reporting on patients with AA treated with PRP were included, comparing PRP with TrA or a placebo. The primary outcome was the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. RESULTS Our systematic search provided a total of 2747 articles. We identified four studies eligible for quantitative analysis. The pooled mean differences from the four studies did not exhibit a significant difference in the mean change in the SALT score when PRP and TrA groups were compared (MD =-2.04, CI: -4.72-0.65; I(2) = 80.4%, p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS PRP is a promising topical, steroid-free treatment modality in the therapy of AA. No significant difference was found between PRP and TrA treatment; however, further high-quality RCTs are needed to further assess the efficacy of PRP treatment and strengthen the quality of evidence.
Study details
Study Design : Systematic Review
Language : eng
Credits : Bibliographic data from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine