Impact of rHuEPO therapy initiation on soluble adhesion molecule levels in haemodialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
Increased levels of soluble adhesion molecules have been reported in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Recent studies have shown that recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) elicits proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and modifies endothelial function. The present study was design to explore the effects of rHuEPO on serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules in HD patients.


METHODS
Soluble serum levels of E-selectin (sE-selectin), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured by ELISA in 29 rHuEPO naïve HD patients (20 males, 9 females) and 10 control subjects at baseline and second month. The HD patients with a haemoglobin level lower than 10.0 mg/dL (n = 19) were administered rHuEPO therapy and other HD patients (n = 10) were followed as a placebo group.


RESULTS
Serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules were significantly higher in HD patients compared with the control group. A significant rise from the baseline in sE-selectin levels (77 +/- 70 vs 100 +/- 86 ng/mL, P < 0.05) was observed 2 months after rHuEPO initiation, while sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels decreased (271 +/- 261 vs 197 +/- 89 and 1043 +/- 243 vs 990 +/- 236 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The present data indicate that rHuEPO could have an important action on serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules in HD patients. rHuEPO might modify the expression of adhesion molecules from endothelial cells either. However, the exact mechanism responsible for the serum elevation of these molecules in HD patients is yet to be fully elucidated.
Kahraman
Serkan
S
Hacettepe University Hospital, Department of Nephrology, Ankara, Turkey. drserkan@hacettepe.edu.tr
Yilmaz
Rahmi
R
Kirkpantur
Alper
A
Genctoy
Gultekin
G
Arici
Mustafa
M
Altun
Bulent
B
Erdem
Yunus
Y
Yasavul
Unal
U
Turgan
Cetin
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012995:Solubility; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D004921:Erythropoietin; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1