Abstract
We studied plasma erythropoietin (EPO) concentration in patients with chronic renal failure who underwent regular hemodialysis. Plasma EPO concentration was measured in 67 hemodialysis patients and 16 normal controls by radioimmunoassay using anti-EPO antibody derived from rabbits immunized with human recombinant EPO.
Plasma EPO concentration in dialysis patients was 19.4±3.0mU/ml (mean±S. E. M., range 5.0-176), significantly higher than the mean value of normal controls; 13.3±0.4mU/ml [range 7.7-20.4] (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma EPO between male and female dialysis patients, and plasma EPO did not correlate with hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration or age. However, the length of hemodialysis showed a positive correlation with plasma EPO (r=0.41). Polycystic kidney disease patients manifested higher plasma EPO concentration than other kidney disease patients (p<0.05).
In conclusion, because plasma EPO concentration in hemodialysis patients was higher than in normal controls and showed differences in various diseases with renal failure, it is important that it be considered in the treatment of patients with anemia due to chronic renal failure.
