Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin administration on peripheral blood neutrophil counts of premature infants.
To clarify whether administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) may have toxic effects on neutrophil production in premature infants, 10 low birth weight infants who received rHuEpo, 200 U/kg per week, were studied retrospectively. Treated infants were compared with 10 untreated infants. None of the infants studied had infection antenatally or postnatally. In both groups the neutrophil count remained greater than 5000/mm3 for the first 3 weeks and decreased markedly at approximately 4 weeks. Although reticulocyte counts were significantly elevated in the rHuEpo-treated group, the difference in neutrophil counts between the groups was not significant. In addition, administration of rHuEpo did not exert any significant effect on granulocyte-macrophage colony formation of circulating hematopoietic progenitors in neonates. Thus no evidence was found that administration of rHuEpo has toxic effects on granulopoiesis in premature infants.
Mizuno
S
S
Division of Neonatology, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya First Hospital.
Sasaki
J
J
Suzuki
C
C
Kono
H
H
Kojima
S
S
D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor