Non-cultured epidermal cells suspended in either platelet-rich plasma or ringer lactate for stable vitiligo: A prospective comparative study

Background Noncultured epidermal cell suspension (NCES) transplantation is a commonly used surgical treatment for resistant stable vitiligo. The combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with different therapeutic modalities for vitiligo yielded higher repigmentation response, probably due to platelet-derived growth factors. Aim To evaluate the efficacy of PRP-suspended NCES compared to NCES suspended in Ringer's lactate (RL) solution in the treatment of stable vitiligo. Patients and methods A prospective comparative study was conducted on 40 patients with stable vitiligo. They were divided into two equal groups: group A (treated with RL-suspended NCES) and group B (treated with PRP-suspended NCES). All patients were followed-up for 6 months for assessment of their therapeutic response regarding clinical outcomes and immunohistochemical expression of HMB-45 in lesional skin. Results Patients treated with PRP-suspended NCES showed a significantly higher repigmentation response compared to those treated with RL-suspended NCES at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment (p = 0.015, 0.023, 0.029, respectively). The expression of HMB-45 significantly increased in both groups after therapy, but without a significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion The repigmentation response of NCES can be enhanced by suspending the melanocytes in autologous PRP.