Six anemic
hemodialysis patients dependent on regular
blood transfusions and with massive
iron overload were treated with recombinant human
erythropoietin (r-huEPO). The effect on absolute reticulocyte count,
hemoglobin and serum
ferritin was studied during a twenty-week period. Red-cell volume and red-cell life span were measured with 51Cr-tagged erythrocytes at baseline and after twenty weeks of r-huEPO. Absolute reticulocyte counts and
hemoglobin concentration rose markedly (from 55.6 +/- 31.2 to a maximum of 174.9 +/- 31.0 x 10(9)/l at 4 weeks and from 6.8 +/- 0.3 to a maximum of 11.2 +/- 1.3 g/dl at 12 weeks, respectively, p less than 0.001) without any further need for transfusions. Red-cell volumes increased concomitantly (from 58 +/- 4 to 81 +/- 11% of normal, p less than 0.005), in spite of a persistent shortening of red-cell life span (45 +/- 18 and 47 +/- 4 days before and after r-huEPO). Markedly
elevated serum ferritin concentrations indicating
iron overload decreased slowly from 3,550 +/- 1,615 to 2,721 +/- 1,506 micrograms/l (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that r-huEPO is very effective in treating the
anemia of patients maintained on
hemodialysis. The favorable effects on
hemoglobin and red-cell volumes occur in spite of persistent
hemolysis and lead to a slow reduction of
iron overload.