title: Responsiveness to recombinant human erythropoietin of marrow erythroid progenitors from infants with the "anemia of prematurity".
abstract: We used cells from marrow aspirations that had been performed on 10 infants with the "anemia of prematurity" and tested the responsiveness of their erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-E) to recombinant human erythropoietin. For comparison, we also tested marrow-derived CFU-E from five healthy adults, and circulating CFU-E from cord blood of five healthy neonates. CFU-E from the anemic infants had a 50% maximal response at 0.073 +/- 0.024 U erythropoietin per milliliter (mean +/- SD). They were therefore at least as responsive as were CFU-E from adults, which displayed a 50% maximal response at 0.118 +/- 0.076 U/ml, and as were circulating CFU-E of cord blood origin, which had a 50% maximal response at 0.109 +/- 0.047 U/ml. Because CFU-E from infants with the "anemia of prematurity" appeared highly sensitive to erythropoietin in vitro, we propose that its administration to these patients would likely result in a significant increase in erythrocyte production in vivo.
authors: Division of Human Development and Aging, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City.
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Rhondeau
authors: R D
authors: RD
authors: Christensen
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: Ross
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Rothstein
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Simmons
mesh_terms: D000751:Anemia, Neonatal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000502:physiology; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin