title: The hypochromic red cell: a new parameter for monitoring of iron supplementation during rhEPO therapy.
abstract: Bone marrow iron supply may become rate limiting for hemoglobin synthesis during rhEPO-stimulated erythropoiesis. In the present study we followed the occurrence of hemoglobin-deficient red cells as a parameter of iron-deficient erythropoiesis in rhEPO-treated dialysis patients. rhEPO-treated patients with iron overload displayed very low numbers of hypochromic red cells (1%), while those with iron-deficiency had a hypochromic subpopulation of 22% (normal range < 2.5% of circulating red cells). Prior to rhEPO treatment, 10 dialysis patients showed normal numbers of hypochromic red cells (2.1%), despite mild iron deficiency (transferrin saturation: 17%). Once rhEPO (150 U/kg/week) was started, the percentage of hypochromic red cells rose significantly to 15.3% within 4 weeks of therapy. This was readily reversed when intravenous iron (750 mg/4 weeks) was added to the therapeutic regimen (5.5% after 4 weeks of i.v. iron). Taken together, quantitative red cell analysis seems to be a reliable tool to detect iron-deficient erythropoiesis in rhEPO-treated dialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Muenster, Westphalia, Fed. Rep. of Germany.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schaefer
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007501:Iron