Recombinant human erythropoietin administration improves thiamine content in blood and erythrocytes transketolase activity in pre-dialyzed patients.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-Hu EPO) has proved to be effective in correcting anemia of dialyzed patients. Since 1987 reports have been published announcing the introduction of this hormone to the treatment of anemia in pre-dialyzed patients, too. Besides successful correction of anemia no evidence of acceleration of the progression of renal failure has been noted. The question of whether r-Hu EPO can also correct metabolic disturbances in predialyzed patients is to be answered. These metabolic disturbances comprises, among others, the decrease in thiamine content in blood and the deterioration of erythrocytes transketolase activity (ETKA) we described in another paper. However, as to the present we did not notice any publication concerning the impact, of r-Hu EPO administration on thiamine content in blood and on the ETKA. The purpose of our study was therefore to determine the influence of r-Hu EPO therapy in pre-dialyzed patients on thiamine level in plasma and erythrocytes and on the ETKA. Additionally, we wanted to answer the question if there was any parallel change in hematocrit index, thiamine level in blood and the ETKA in patients we observed during r-Hu EPO therapy.