Anemia in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis.
OBJECTIVE
Anemia is commonly observed among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). No such information is available for patients with a history of systemic vasculitis.


METHODS
We examined the prevalence of anemia, the response to therapy with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA), and the association of anemia with the kidney function in clinically stable patients with Wegener's granulomatosis in a retrospective, single-center study.


RESULTS
The mean hemoglobin concentration of 36 patients (mean age: 58 years; 15 female, 21 male; mean duration of disease: 4.6 years) was 13.0+/-2.1 g/dl, and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 41+/-21 ml/min/1.73 m(2). 14 of 36 patients (38.8%) presented with anemia (hemoglobin concentration < 12 g/dl in women, < 13 g/dl in men, or ESA therapy). In patients with a CKD Stage 3 or 4, anemia was present about twice as much as compared to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) population. The hemoglobin concentration, however, was not associated with a change of kidney function (p = 0.1578).


CONCLUSIONS
We found a higher prevalence of anemia in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis, as compared to the NHANES III population. The hemoglobin concentrations showed no association with changes of kidney function.
Riegersperger
M
M
Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine Ill, Medical University Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18 - 20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. markus.riegersperger@meduniwien.ac.at
Sengoelge
G
G
Köller
M
M
Grossmann
N
N
Benesch
T
T
Sunder-Plassmann
G
G
D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D006397:Hematinics; D006454:Hemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C103998:epoetin beta; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D003404:Creatinine