Abstract
Serum erythropoietin (EPO) titers in patients undergoing chronic regular hemodialysis (HD), with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and in normal adult controls were determined using radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results are summarized as follows: 1. The EPO titers of 100 patients with HD (two cases were excluded due to polycystic kidney) were 11.0±5.3mU/ml, of 41 patients with IDA were 37.4±118.5mU/ml, and of 73 normal adult controls were 14.9±4.6mU/ml. 2. Correlations obtained between EPO titers and hemoglobin (Hb) volumes are as follows: IDA: r=-0.80, y=7, 726e-0.63x, HD: r=-0.16, y=14.4e-0.044x. The differences between the two disease groups based on these results suggest that the lower the Hb levels, the wider the dissociation tendency. 3. Accordingly, serum EPO levels were found to be markedly lower in HD than in IDA.
