title: Influence of recombinant human erythropoietin therapy on in vivo chemotaxis and in vitro phagocytosis of polymorphonuclear cells of hemodialysis patients.
abstract: Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhu-EPO) mainly stimulates erythropoiesis, but also influences the production and function of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PAN). We evaluated the influence of rhu-EPO therapy in patients on maintenance hemodialysis without iron overload on both phagocytic and chemotactic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) obtained from blood and a skin chamber. The study comprised 28 dialysis patients (15 females, 13 males, age 22-78 years, dialysis sessions three times weekly 4-5 h, mean duration of dialysis treatment 4-99 months) and 20 healthy subjects (9 females, 11 males, age 18-56 years). The absolute number of leukocytes in the peripheral blood, the leukocyte mobilization (chemotactic activity) and the phagocytic activity of PMNs were tested in patients before (n = 28), and after (n = 18) reaching the target hematocrit of 30% and during the follow-up period. No alteration in the total leukocyte number (PMN, monocytes, lymphocytes) in the peripheral blood during rhu-EPO therapy could be seen. The phagocytic activity of PMNs slightly improved during the follow-up period whereas the decreased chemotactic activity remained unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sperschneider
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruffert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012884:Skin Window Technique
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007501:Iron