Acidic preparations of platelet concentrates release bone morphogenetic protein-2

Background and purpose Growth factors released from platelets have potent effects on fracture and wound healing. The acidic tide of wound healing, i.e. the pH within wounds and fractures, changes from acidic pH to neutral and alkaline pH as the healing process progresses. We investigated the influence of pH on lysed platelet concentrates regarding the release of growth factors. Material and methods Platelet concentrates free of leukocyte components were lysed and incubated in buffers with pH between 4.3 and 8.6. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor- (TGF-), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results PDGF, TGF-, and VEGF were present in all platelet preparations but the levels varied in a pH-dependent fashion. BMP-2 was only detected in the most acidic preparation (pH 4.3), which is interesting since BMP-2 has been reported to be an endogenous mediator of fracture repair and to be responsible for the initiation of fracture healing. Interpretation Our findings indicate that platelets release substantial amounts of BMP-2 only under conditions of low pH, the milieu associated with the critical initial stage of fracture healing.