title: Sensory improvement of leprosy peripheral neuropathy in patients treated with perineural injection of platelet-rich plasma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a chronic granulomatous infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae with peripheral neuropathy as cutaneous and neurological manifestations. Peripheral nerve regeneration may be stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor and other growth factors (GFs) that have important roles in extracellular matrix regeneration. All of those GFs can be found in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparation. The effect of PRP injection in leprosy peripheral neuropathy has never been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  A double-blind, randomized, control clinical trial was conducted among 60 patients with leprosy peripheral neuropathy. They were randomized to receive either a 1-ml injection of PRP as treatment or a 1-ml injection of platelet-poor plasma (PPP) as control. Skin sensibilities were measured by two-point discrimination test (TPDT) and visual analog scale (VAS), which were taken before and two weeks after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perineural injection of PRP was shown to be significantly more effective than PPP (P < 0.05) either in VAS or TPDT measurements. In both groups, the patients had a tingling sensation at the time of injection that disappeared shortly after.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that perineural PRP injection could promote improvement of peripheral neuropathy sensibility in patients with leprosy. More research is needed to better determine the effects of PRP in nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital/Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Sukma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anjayani
authors.forename: Yohanes Widodo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Wirohadidjojo
authors.forename: Andi Muhammad
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suwandi
authors.forename: Arifin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seweng
authors.forename: Muh Dali
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Amiruddin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007918:Leprosy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010949:Plasma; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome