Potential for treatment of anaemia of prematurity with recombinant human erythropoietin: preliminary results.
There is a high level of erythropoiesis in the growing fetus. In utero relative hypoxia results in a relatively high haematocrit and predominant synthesis of haemoglobin F, with erythropoietin (EPO) produced in the liver regulating erythropoiesis. At birth after full-term pregnancy, fetal EPO concentrations are high, but decline progressively thereafter. In pre-term infants the expected postnatal decline in haemoglobin is more prolonged than in full-term infants and the premature infants may become anaemic. It has been shown in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) at a dose of 100 U/kg given intravenously twice weekly for 6 weeks to infants with anaemia of prematurity produced an earlier increase in reticulocyte counts compared with placebo; however, the difference between treatments was not significant. r-HuEPO therapy did not suppress subsequent release of endogenous EPO. It is concluded that a higher dose of r-HuEPO may be required to treat anaemic premature infants.
Phibbs
R H
RH
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco.
Shannon
K M
KM
Mentzer
W C
WC
D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin