Clinical effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on anemia associated with chronic renal failure. A multi-institutional study in Japan.
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.
Akizawa
T
T
Fujigaoka Hospital, Showa University, Yokohama, Japan.
Koshikawa
S
S
Takaku
F
F
Urabe
A
A
Akiyama
N
N
Mimura
N
N
Otsubo
O
O
Nihei
H
H
Suzuki
Y
Y
Kawaguchi
Y
Y
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*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin