title: A multicenter study with once a week or once every two weeks high-dose subcutaneous administration of recombinant human erythropoietin in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness of administering relatively high doses of r-HuEPO subcutaneously once a week or once every 2 weeks in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter prospective analysis. The trial was divided into two phases: an initial 8-week phase (once a week dosing) followed by a 12-week maintenance phase (once every 2 weeks dosing). A response was defined as a change in hematocrit (Ht) of 3% or more. Results were analyzed using Sheffe's test, Mantel-Haenszel's test, and Dunnett's test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven renal units in Japan providing a CAPD program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one CAPD patients with a Ht of 28% or less.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the initial 8 weeks, 13 (81.3%) of 16 patients showed a response to 6000 U (106.9 +/- 20.0 U/kg) subcutaneously (sc), once a week. Eleven (84.6%) of 13 in the 9000 U (166.5 +/- 27.7 U/kg) group and all 12 (100%) in the 12,000 U (210.7 +/- 42.1% U/kg) group also showed responses. At the end of both phases, that is, at 20 weeks, 7 (53.8%) of 13 patients in the 6000 U group with once every 2 weeks dosing, 7 (63.6%) of 11 in the 9000 U group, and 10 (90.9%) of 11 in the 12,000 U group maintained responses with the same dosing interval. There were no significant changes in mean blood pressure during the study period, and only 2 patients developed treatable hypertension with mild headache.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of relatively high doses of r-HuEPO to CAPD patients once a week or once every 2 weeks is safe and potentially an effective regimen for the correction of renal anemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Isehara City, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koshikawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin