title: The effect of intravenous iron on the reticulocyte response to recombinant human erythropoietin.
abstract: We studied the effect of intravenous (i.v.) administration of 200 mg of iron sucrose following an i.v. bolus injection of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO; 300 U/kg body weight) in seven subjects and compared it with seven subjects treated with r-HuEPO alone. Reticulocytes, serum erythropoietin (EPO) and ferritin levels were studied at baseline and daily for the following 8 d. Use of i.v. iron abolished the marked reduction in serum ferritin observed with r-HuEPO administration. Although the total number of reticulocytes was not affected by i.v. iron administration, the reticulocyte Hb content and retHb (a measure in g/l of the Hb contained in all reticulocytes) were increased in the i.v. iron/r-HuEPO group compared with the group who received r-HuEPO alone. Therefore i.v. iron significantly potentiates the haemopoietic response to r-HuEPO in normal subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mathez-Loic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rohling
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gautschi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brugnara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017701:Reticulocyte Count; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron