Jelkmann W
Physiologisches Institut I, Universität Bonn, Germany.
Clin Investig. 1994;72(6 Suppl):S3-10.
The glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin is an essential survival and growth factor for the erythrocytic progenitors in the bone marrow. Its peptide sequence of 165 amino acids is stabilized by 4 carbohydrate side chains (total molecular mass 30 kDa, 60% protein). Erythropoietin is synthesized mainly in the kidney. Its formation increases greatly in response to hypoxia. The mechanism by which lack of oxygen induces erythropoietin gene expression is only partly understood. Erythropoietin deficiency is the primary cause of the anemia in chronic renal failure. Erythropoietin production is lowered in severe acidosis and in inflammatory states. Genetical engineering has enabled the isolation of the human erythropoietin gene and its in vitro expression in mammalian cell cultures. Recombinant human erythropoietin has been approved to be an efficient and safe drug for treatment of renal anemia. This paper reviews some of the recent advances in the understanding of the biology of erythropoietin with respect to its possible application as an alternative to blood transfusion in surgical patients.
糖蛋白激素促红细胞生成素是骨髓中红细胞祖细胞必需的生存和生长因子。其165个氨基酸的肽序列由4条碳水化合物侧链稳定（总分子量30 kDa，60%为蛋白质）。促红细胞生成素主要在肾脏合成。其生成在低氧状态下会大幅增加。缺氧诱导促红细胞生成素基因表达的机制仅部分为人所知。促红细胞生成素缺乏是慢性肾衰竭贫血的主要原因。在严重酸中毒和炎症状态下，促红细胞生成素的产生会降低。基因工程已能够分离人类促红细胞生成素基因并使其在哺乳动物细胞培养物中进行体外表达。重组人促红细胞生成素已被批准作为治疗肾性贫血的一种高效且安全的药物。本文综述了在理解促红细胞生成素生物学方面的一些最新进展，涉及其作为手术患者输血替代方法的可能应用。
