Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced anemia and treatment for erythrocytosis in renal transplant recipients.
Erythrocytosis is not rare in renal transplant recipients, and phlebotomy is still the main treatment. Recently, the occurrence of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor induced anemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis and in renal transplant recipients has been reported. We herein report 5 transplant recipients whose hematocrit levels decreased while taking ACE inhibitors, including 2 patients treated with ACE inhibitors for erythrocytosis. The individual mean hematocrit values ranged from 35.0% to 54.7% before treatment and from 27.6% to 42.0% after treatment. The hematocrit level in the 2 patients with erythrocytosis decreased from 54.7% to 39.8% and 47.5% to 27.6%, respectively. Anemia improved after discontinuation or dosage reduction of the drugs. The patients were given the same immunosuppressive drugs, and had good renal function. ACE inhibitor-induced conspicuous anemia was not observed in the transplant recipient who received a kidney from a twin sibling and had not been taking any immunosuppressive drugs, nor in the 8 other patients with diabetes mellitus or chronic glomerulonephritis who served as controls. We conclude that ACE inhibitor-induced anemia may frequently arise in an immunosuppressed state. Based on these events, the ACE inhibitor can be used as a potent drug for erythrocytosis in post-transplant recipients.
Satoh
S
S
Department of Urology, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
Kaneko
T
T
Seino
K
K
Abe
T
T
Omori
S
S
Sugimura
J
J
Fujioka
T
T
Kubo
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011086:Polycythemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors