title: Effect of erythropoietin administration on blood and plasma viscosity in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: The effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) on whole blood and plasma viscosity was studied in six anemic hemodialysis (HD) patients, and five equally anemic placebo treated HD patients. Viscosity was determined pre- and postdialysis using cone-plate viscometry. Predialysis values for hematocrit and whole blood viscosity increased significantly over a 12 week period in the EPO but not the placebo treated group; plasma viscosity did not change in either group. Whole blood viscosity measured before and after a single HD session during week 12 revealed a significant rise. This change, expressed as a percent of the predialysis values, was similar in the two groups. Thus, the rise in whole blood viscosity seen in EPO treated patients is a result of the increase in erythrocyte concentration and not a result of an effect of EPO on plasma. In addition, EPO does not seem to alter the acute effect of HD on blood viscosity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Vaziri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaupke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hyatt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000628:therapy*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin