title: Effect of hyperparathyroidism on response to erythropoietin in children on dialysis.
abstract: The response to recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO), 50 units/kg thrice weekly, was studied prospectively in 17 children and adolescents with end-stage renal disease who were either transfusion dependent or had hematocrits < 25%. For convenience, rHuEPO was given intravenously to 12 hemodialysis (HD) patients and subcutaneously to 5 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Blood pressure, hematocrit, iron indices, and serum potassium, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, urea nitrogen, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) were monitored serially. When serum ferritin was < 100 ng/ ml during therapy, 6 patients received iron supplementation. rHuEPO therapy eliminated frequent transfusions in all patients; 11 of 17 patients reached the target hematocrit of 30%-33% by week 16 of rHuEPO, 50 units/kg thrice weekly. The 5 PD patients treated subcutaneously reached target at week 6 +/- 1; 6 HD patients treated intravenously reached target at week 11 +/- 3; 6 additional HD patients never reached target at this dose; 5 of 6 had pre-rHuEPO serum PTH levels >400 pg/ml, significantly higher than those of the other patients (P < 0.005); 3 of 6 later reached a hematocrit of 30%-33% after the rHuEPO dose was increased to 120-130 units/kg thrice weekly. We conclude that most pediatric dialysis patients can be treated successfully with rHuEPO, 50 units/kg thrice weekly, unless the serum PTH concentration is markedly elevated, in which case a higher dose is likely to be needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Belsha
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D007223:Infant; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D005293:Ferritins