Retrospective Cohort Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Aug 15, 2025; 16(8): 106215
Published online Aug 15, 2025. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i8.106215
Autologous platelet rich gel in treatment of lower limb atherosclerotic occlusive disease in diabetic patients
Miao Chen, Jing-Tang Li, Jia-Bao Gao, Ling Zhang, Qi-Hang Gao, Xiong Zeng, Qiang Liu
Miao Chen, Jing-Tang Li, Jia-Bao Gao, Ling Zhang, Qi-Hang Gao, Xiong Zeng, Department of Vascular Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang 330008, Jiangxi Province, China
Miao Chen, Qiang Liu, Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330008, Jiangxi Province, China
Qiang Liu, Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330008, Jiangxi Province, China
Author contributions: Chen M, Li JT and Gao JB contributed to conceptualization, methodology, software, data curation, writing-original draft preparation; Li JT and Gao JB contributed to visualization, investigation; Gao JB, Zhang L, Gao QH, Zeng X and Liu Q contributed to supervision; Liu Q contributed to software, validation; Chen M, Li JT, Gao JB, Zhang L, Gao QH, Zeng X and Liu Q contributed to writing-reviewing and editing.
Institutional review board statement: Our study received approval from the local ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University approved this study, No. WH20240104.
Informed consent statement: The requirement for informed consent was waived due to the study's retrospective nature and observational design.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: All data generated and analyzed during this study are included in the manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qiang Liu, MD, Chief Physician, Medical College, Nanchang University, No. 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330008, Jiangxi Province, China. liuqiangncmed@163.com
Received: February 19, 2025
Revised: March 28, 2025
Accepted: June 24, 2025
Published online: August 15, 2025
Processing time: 176 Days and 7.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Lower limb atherosclerotic occlusive disease (LAOD) is a common complication in diabetic patients, leading to significant symptoms and reduced quality of life.

AIM

To investigate the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich gel (APRG) as an innovative treatment for LAOD, focusing on clinical outcomes such as symptom relief, flow values, ankle-brachial index (ABI), walking distance, and claudication severity.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved an analysis of electronic medical records (EMR) from 150 patients diagnosed with LAOD. Participants were assigned to either a treatment group (n = 80) or a control group (n = 70). Both groups received standard care and underwent dressing changes. In addition, the treatment group was given APRG. Primary outcomes included changes in pain levels, wound healing rates, flow values assessed by plethysmography, ABI measurements, walking distance, and claudication severity. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the significance of the results.

RESULTS

The APRG group showed significant improvements after 12 weeks, including a 70% reduction in pain, a 65% increase in wound healing rates, and an average walking distance increase of 150 meters. Flow values improved by 20%, with significant enhancements in ABI measurements (P < 0.01). Additionally, patient satisfaction was higher, and 60% of patients reported improved claudication severity, confirming the efficacy of APRG in enhancing clinical outcomes for lower LAOD.

CONCLUSION

The APRG demonstrates significant efficacy in managing LAOD in diabetic patients, improving key clinical parameters including flow values, ABI, walking distance, and claudication. These findings support the need for further prospective studies to validate long-term efficacy and optimize treatment strategies.

Keywords: Autologous platelet rich gel; Lower limb atherosclerotic occlusive disease; Diabetic patients; Retrospective study; Ankle brachial index

Core Tip: This study investigates the innovative application of autologous platelet-rich gel (APRG) for the treatment of lower limb atherosclerotic occlusive disease (LAOD) in diabetic patients. A retrospective analysis involving 150 patients demonstrated that APRG significantly enhanced clinical outcomes, including a 70% reduction in pain, a 65% increase in wound healing rates, and an improvement in walking distance by 150 meters after 12 weeks. These promising results indicate that APRG may serve as a transformative treatment option for diabetic patients suffering from LAOD. Further prospective studies are essential to validate its long-term efficacy and safety in this population.