ABSTRACT
Erythropoietin (EPO) is traditionally described as a hematopoietic cytokine or growth hormone regulating proliferation, differentiation, and survival of erythroid progenitors. The use of EPO in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD) was a milestone achievement in the treatment of anemia. A growing number of clinical trials aimed at anemia management have assessed the potential benefits of EPO in reducing the loss of kidney function and also the incidence of cardicvascular disease (CVD) in CKD patients. Analysis of the biological effects of EPO and pathophysiology of CKD in these studies suggests that treatment with EPO exerts cellular protection, immune regulation by pleiotropic actions on several targets and directly or indirectly slows the progression of CKD and reduces CVD-related mortality. The aim of this article is to discuss these possible protection mechanisms and provides a comprehensive overview of EPO.