[Use of recombinant erythropoietin on secondary anemia in patients in the terminal phase of renal insufficiency on hemodialysis].

A group of 6 patients with a history of end-stage renal insufficiency on hemodialysis was receiving erythropoietin (EPO) in a dosage of 50 IU/kg body weight i. v. The hemogram values were followed regularly every week and the patients underwent other laboratory evaluations every month. At the beginning of the study, the number of erythrocytes amounted to 2.2 +/- 0.3 x 10(12)/l. After 4 weeks it was 2.3 +/- 0.4 (NS) (p = 0.001), after 8 weeks 2.8 +/- 0.4 (p = 0.007), and after 12 weeks 3.2 +/- 0.3. At the beginning, hemoglobin was 70 +/- 8 g/l, after 4 weeks 76.3 +/- 13.7 (NS), after 8 weeks 95.7 +/- 14.3 (p = 0.008), and after 12 weeks 102.2 +/- 12 (p = 0.001). The hematocrit value rose from 21.4 +/- 3.4 at the beginning of the study to 32.1 +/- 3.6 (p = 0.001) after 12 weeks. The trial showed no significant effect of EPO on serum potassium which amounted to 5.3 +/- 0.4 mmol/l at the beginning of the trial and 5.6 +/- 0.8 (NS) after 12 weeks; the rate of the rise of platelets from 132.8 +/- 2.4 x 10(9)/l to 155.2 +/- 42.2 was not significant either. The results demonstrate a marked improvement in the red blood cells of patients receiving EPO in the end-stage of renal insufficiency and its influence on their general condition. One female patient was excluded from the study participation because of a severe bone pain.