title: Hepatic erythropoietin response in cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Erythropoietin (EPO) is produced in the liver during fetal life, but after birth the production shifts to the kidneys. The liver maintains a production capacity of 10% of the total EPO-production, but can be up-regulated to 100%. Previous studies have demonstrated both elevated and reduced concentrations of EPO in cirrhosis. Increased EPO concentrations could be expected due to anemia, hypoxia, renal hypoperfusion, or EPO-mediated hepatoprotective mechanisms. In contrast, poor hepatic production capacity may cause reduced EPO concentrations in cirrhosis. In the present paper we aimed to study hepatic and renal venous concentrations of EPO in relation to the severity of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 24 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and eight age-matched healthy controls. All had a full catheterization performed with the determination of EPO concentrations in the hepatic, renal and femoral veins and artery. All patients were clinically, biochemically, and hemodynamically characterized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median arterial EPO concentrations in the cirrhotic patients and controls were 7.1 mIU/mL (range 3.5-179) and 7.2 mIU/mL (range 3.8-15.3), respectively. In the patient group we found no significant correlations to stage of disease of hemodynamic derangement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no significant differences in EPO concentrations across the liver, kidney, or peripheral circulation in the patient or control groups; and no significant correlations to clinical, biochemical, or hemodynamic characteristics. This suggests that hepatic EPO synthesis is not enhanced in cirrhosis, but larger scale studies are needed to clarify this question.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Center of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research 260 , Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Risør
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hvidovre; Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenger
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neuroanaesthesia, the Neuroscience Centre , University Hospital of Copenhagen (Rigshospitalet) , Copenhagen , Denmark ;|d Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Center of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research 260 , Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Møller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000378:metabolism; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004921:Erythropoietin
keywords: Anemia; angiogenesis; chronic inflammation; cirrhosis; erythropoietin; hemodynamic disturbances; hepatic nephropathy; hypoxia; tissue protection; vasoconstriction; vasodilation