ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of recombinant human erythropoietin(Epokine(R)). METHODS: A comparative prospective study of intravenously and subcutaneously administrated Epokine(R) conducted 13 patients performing hemodialysis and 28 patients performing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with end-stage renal disease. Epokine(R) was given initially at a dosage of 100 unit/kg, subcutaneously, two times a week. The patients had achieved stable or more than 10 g/dL of hemoglobin level for 12 weeks and then we randomized switching intravenously or subcutaneously administrated Epokine(R) for another 12 weeks. RESULTS: Hemoglobin(g/dL) and hematocrit(%) increased significantly from baseline levels beginning from 2 weeks after Epokine(R) administration. In HD patients, hemoglobin increased significantly from 7.3 to 9.5 after 12 weeks and to 10.6 after 24 weeks. In CAPD patients, hemoglobin increased significantly from 6.8 to 10.2 after 12 weeks and then 10.8 after 24 weeks(p 0.05). In HD patients, intravenously administrated Epokine(R) group was more dosage than subcutaneously group(97.4+/-15.4 vs 145.4+/-2.9 U/kg/wk, p 0.05). The 9 cases(18.8%) were suffered from headache and flu-like syndrome, but these side effects were not severe and disappeared from conventional therapy. CONCLUSION: Epokine(R) administration is safe and effective in treating anemia of ESRD patients and subcutaneously administration is significantly more effective than intravenously.