title: Erythropoietin production in anemia associated with experimental cancer.
abstract: Serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentrations reportedly are depressed in patients with chronic disorders such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. We evaluated serum EPO levels in mice with tumors and found that the EPO response was appropriate for the associated anemia during the major part of the disease process. The levels of the hormone increased as the anemia worsened in association with progression of the disease. The increased EPO levels were comparable to those of controls with a similar degree of experimentally induced anemia. Only during the terminal stages of cancer, when the animals were severely cachectic, were serum EPO concentrations lower than in controls with a similar degree of anemia. These findings suggest that a blunted EPO response in experimental cancer occurs only in association with advanced disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa. hleng@uwc.ac.za
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kidson
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Folb
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004921:Erythropoietin