Wound healing prediction algorithm based on real-world data and validation for the effect of platelet-rich plasma on elderly diabetic foot ulcer patients.

AIMS: To develop a wound-healing prediction algorithm and validate the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) gel for treating elderly diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients. METHOD: From April 2020 to April 2022, 68 patients with Wagner Grade II-III DFU were consecutively enrolled, and their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data were collected. A multiple regression model was used to develop a wound-healing algorithm with subsequent graphic model-fitting analysis. In the subgroup analysis, this study further compared the hemoglobin levels, inflammation indicators, and cytokines between the PRP treatment group (N = 31) and the non-PRP treatment group (N = 37). A wound healing prediction algorithm was developed as follows: Wound Healing Time (WHT) = -1.38 - 1.799 × PRP treatment + 0.813 × IL-6 - 0.158 × HbA1C + 0.559 × previous ulcer duration. RESULTS: In this prediction algorithm, the application of PRP treatment was identified as a significant parameter influencing WHT. In further subgroup analysis, the PRP treatment group showed superior results in terms of white blood cells, blood sedimentation, C-reactive protein, VEGF, and ENA-78 levels (all P-value < 0.01) compared with the non-PRP treatment group. CONCLUSION: PRP treatment promoted wound healing in elderly DFU patients by modulating inflammation and enhancing tissue regeneration, and the proposed algorithm offered predictive utility for healing time.