title: Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin are positively related to erythropoietin dose in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Experimental data confirmed that erythropoietin (EPO) administration alters the course of various pathological situations such as heart failure and tumor growth by inducing vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression. The effect of EPO dose on plasma VEGF-A level in hemodialysis (HD) patients was evaluated. The effect of EPO dose on plasma angiogenin level in HD patients was also evaluated, since angiogenin is necessary for angiogenesis induced by VEGF-A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty two HD patients (10 diabetics) enrolled into the study. Patients were iron replete and did not suffer from infections, autoimmune diseases or malignancies. Plasma VEGF-A and angiogenin, as well as serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were measured by means of ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weekly EPO dose per kg of dry body weight was positively related to both VEGF-A and angiogenin, whereas no relation was detected among VEGF-A or angiogenin and hemoglobin, inflammation or presence of diabetes mellitus. These relations among EPO dose and VEGF-A or angiogenin remained after adjustment for hemoglobin concentration or inflammation or presence of diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPO dose may affect plasma VEGF-A and angiogenin concentrations in HD patients.
authors: Nephrology Department, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. teleftheriadis@yahoo.com
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Eleftheriadis
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Antoniadi
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Liakopoulos
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pissas
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Galaktidou
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Stefanidis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin; C046366:angiogenin; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic