title: Clinical effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on anemia associated with chronic renal failure. A multi-institutional study in Japan.
abstract: Clinical effect and safety of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) were evaluated in 66 hemodialysis patients with intractable anemia. Initially, 50U/kg dry weight (DW) of r-HuEPO was administered intravenously at the end of every hemodialysis procedure for 4 weeks, then the dosage was increased to 100 and 200U/kg DW for poor responders. The patients' hematocrits rose from 19.8 +/- 2.3% (pretreatment) to 30.2 +/- 4.9% after 12 weeks. From 206 U of blood transfusion requirement in the 3-month period before the study, only 34 U were needed after treatment. Serum iron and ferritin levels fell significantly during the study, and iron storage was considered to be one of the decisive factors in the response to r-HuEPO. Blood pressure rose in the course of r-HuEPO administration, but uncontrollable hypertension was rarely observed. There was no significant adverse effect of r-HuEPO except for this mild hypertension. These results indicate that r-HuEPO is an excellent therapeutic aid for the anemia associated with chronic renal failure.
authors.affiliation: Fujigaoka Hospital, Showa University, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akizawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koshikawa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takaku
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urabe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Otsubo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nihei
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin