The effect of CD34+cell-containing autologous platelet-rich plasma injection on pattern hair loss: a preliminary study

Background Mobilized CD34+ cells in peripheral blood have angiogenic potential, which is an important factor in active hair growth. In addition, activated autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been reported to induce the proliferation of dermal papilla cells. Objectives To investigate the clinical efficacy of interfollicular injection of CD34+ cell-containing PRP preparation for pattern hair loss. Patients and methods CD34+ cell-containing PRP preparation was injected on the scalps of 13 patients with pattern hair loss, and 13 patients were treated with interfollicular placental extract injection as a control. The numbers of platelets in PRP were microscopically counted and CD34+ cells were evaluated with flow cytometry. Results Three months after the first treatment, the patients presented clinical improvement in the mean number of hairs, 20.517.0% (P<0.0001), mean hair thickness, 31.3 +/- 30.1% (P<0.0001), and mean two-point score, 84.4 +/- 51.7% (P<0.0001) compared with baseline values. At 6months, the patients presented clinical improvement in mean hair count, 29.2 +/- 17.8% (P<0.0001), mean hair thickness, 46.4 +/- 37.5% (P<0.0001), and mean two-point score, 121.3 +/- 66.8% (P<0.0001) compared with baseline. The MIXED procedure revealed that CD34+ cell-containing PRP treatment presented a higher degree of improvement than placental extract treatment in hair thickness (P=0.027) and overall clinical improvement (P=0.023). Conclusion Our data suggest that the interfollicular injection of autologous CD34+ cell-containing PRP preparation has a positive therapeutic effect on male and female pattern hair loss without remarkable major side-effects.