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SummaryObjectivePlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a fraction of plasma that contains high levels of multiple growth factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of PRP on cell proliferation and matrix synthesis by porcine chondrocytes cultured in alginate beads, conditions that promote the retention of the chondrocytic phenotype, in order to determine the plausibility of using this plasma-derived material for engineering cartilage.DesignPRP and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were prepared from adult porcine blood. Adult porcine chondrocytes were cultured in the presence of 10% PRP, 10% PPP or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 3 days. Cell proliferation, proteoglycan (PG) and collagen synthesis were quantified, and the structure of newly synthesized PG and collagen was characterized.ResultsTreatment with 10% PRP resulted in a small but significant increase in DNA content (+11%, vs FBS; P

Keratan sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan; in man, most KS is present in cartilage proteoglycans, 1 but small amounts have been identified in blood.l, 2 Recent evidence indicates that this KS is almost exclusively derived from catabolism of cartilage proteoglycans.l-3 As a result, it has been postulated that the concentration of KS in the blood is directly proportional to the rate of degradation of cartilage proteoglycans.I, 2 Linear growth results from bone formation on a cartilage scaffold (endochondral ossification) and depends on adequate function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-somatomedin-insulin-like growth factor I axis and the genetic ability of cartilage to respond to these secretions. 4, 5 In the growing child, serum levels of KS are elevated, which is not unexpected because growing cartilages are constantly undergoing degradation and replacement by new bone formation. We previously reported that serum levels of keratan sulfate rise from low levels in infancy and reach a plateau by the age of 4 to 5 years. Serum concentrations of KS appear to remain high until age 12 years, when they rapidly decline toward the levels found in normal adult sera. Serum levels of KS in a growing child correlate with the individual child's age-adjusted percentile height. 6 In our investigation, we measured the serum concentrations of KS in two groups of children with short stature: one group with Constitutional delay of maturity and the other with growth hormone deficiency. In the latter group, we compared KS levels before and after treatment with growth