Effect of erythropoietin on neutrophil chemiluminescence in hemodialyzed patients

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been used widely for correcting anemia in hemodialyzed (HD) patients. Enhancement of phagocytic function during EPO treatment of HD patients has been studied, but no data have been available on the effect of EPO on neutrophil chemiluminescence (CL) after challenge with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). CL was measured in prehemodialysis whole blood samples from 15 stabilized patients and 15 normal healthy control subjects (C) after challenge with PMA. Before EPO treatment, CL was noted to be significantly higher in HD patients than in C, which changed significantly after 5 weeks of treatment (Rx) and continued for 13 weeks of Rx. There was a significant increase in hematocrit in these HD patients after 5 weeks that persisted until the 13th week. It was concluded that there is a significant decrease in whole blood CL in response to challenge with PMA during correction of anemia in HD patients treated with EPO. This study demonstrated that EPO could decrease enhanced PMA-activated reactive oxygen metabolite production and suggested that this decrease may protect against tissue damage, including red blood cell hemolysis in the uremic milieu.