title: Effect of pretransplant erythropoietin therapy on renal allograft outcome.
abstract: Erythropoietin (EPO) is widely used among patients with end-stage renal disease awaiting transplantation. Data suggest that EPO therapy may be immunomodulatory. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of pretransplant EPO therapy on renal allograft outcome. We evaluated 120 consecutive renal transplant recipients to assess the effect of EPO on graft outcome following renal transplantation. Among the study population, 58 patients were receiving EPO before transplantation (EPO group) and 62 patients were not treated with EPO (non-EPO group). Twenty-four of 58 EPO-treated patients (41%) experienced delayed graft function after transplantation, compared with 11 of 62 (18%) non-EPO-treated patients (P<0.05). The incidence of acute rejection, time to first rejection, and 1-year graft survival rate did not differ between the two groups. In conclusion, pretransplant EPO therapy does not appear to adversely impact on the incidence of acute rejection or 1 year graft survival rate. However, EPO-treated patients may be predisposed to the development of delayed graft function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy/Hospital Pharmacy Services, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vasquez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pollak
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004921:Erythropoietin