title: Evidence that treatment of ESRD patients with recombinant human erythropoietin induces immunosuppression without affecting the distribution of peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations.
abstract: Fifteen patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were blood sampled before and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 6 months after institution of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) therapy. Subpopulations of immunocompetent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were analyzed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies against various T-lymphocyte antigens, B-lymphocytes, natural killer (NK)-cells, monocytes, and macrophages, and finally bone marrow progenitor cells. Functional properties of peripheral T-lymphocytes were analyzed by proliferation assays with mitogens, alloantigens and microbiological antigens. All patients but 3 responded with sufficient correction of the anaemia. The absolute number of leucocytes and lymphocytes remained unchanged during the study. Likewise, a remarkable intraindividual months to month constancy in the relative distribution of all PBMC subsets analyzed was recorded during the observation period, although some interindividual variability was observed. In contrast, the T-lymphocyte responsiveness decreased significantly except for 2 out of 11. We conclude, that treatment of renal anemia with r-HuEPO seems to induce immunosuppression in ESRD patients without affecting the distribution of various PBMC subsets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine C, Aalborg Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steffensen
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Aunsholt
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Povlsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin