title: Serum immunoreactive erythropoietin of children in health and disease.
abstract: Serum immunoreactive erythropoietin (siEPO) was determined in cord serum from neonates (n = 97, gestational age 36-43 weeks), in healthy children from birth to adolescence (n = 260) and in children with haematological (n = 30), renal (n = 10) and congenital heart diseases (n = 70). In healthy children siEPO levels decreased after birth (geometric mean cord siEPO 35.6 mU/ml with 95% range of 17-56 mU/ml in eutrophic, nondistressed fetuses) and reached lowest values during the first 2 months (geometric mean siEPO 11.5 mU/ml). Thereafter siEPO levels increased slightly and were constant between 2 months and adolescence. The geometric mean siEPO for healthy children after birth was 18.8 mU/ml with 95% range of 7-47 mU/ml. These estimates were not significantly different from normal adult values. In newborns with fetal distress (n = 15) cord siEPO was significantly elevated (geometric mean 63.0 mU/ml; P less than 0.001). In children with haematological disease, siEPO and Hb concentration were inversely correlated (log siEPO (mU/ml) = 4.1-0.20 x Hb (g/dl); r = -0.62; P less than 0.0005). This relationship was significantly different in children with chronic renal failure (log siEPO (mU/ml) = 0.67 + 0.035 x Hb (g/dl); r = 0.50; P = 0.1). In children with heart disease the geometric mean siEPO was 19.2 mU/ml with 95% range 8-65 mU/ml for cyanotic (SaO2 less than 94%) and 17.7 mU/ml with 95% range of 12-36 mU/ml for acyanotic patients. In this group siEPO values were inversely correlated to the arterial oxygen content (log siEPO (mU/ml) = 1.61-2.04 x oxygen content (l/l); r = -0.28; P less than 0.02).
authors.affiliation: Physiologisches Institut der Universität Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Eckardt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pohlandt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burghardt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000097:blood; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016011:Normal Distribution; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D010100:Oxygen