RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of combined therapy with L-carnitine and erythropoietin on selected blood morphology parameters in patients treated with hemodialysis and to assess whether combined therapy could decrease the requirement for exogenous erythropoietin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The results of anemia treatment were compared in three groups of patients: 27 patients treated with L-carnitine and erythropoietin, 15 patients treated with erythropoietin and 9 patients treated only with L-carnitine. The patients were treated for 6 months. L-carnitine was given orally at a dose of 4 x 250 mg daily. Erythropoietin was administered intravenously after each hemodialysis session and the mean dose of erythropoietin at the beginning of observation was 5642 +/- 2134 units/week. Before treatment serum concentrations of free and total carnitine, parathormone (PTH), aluminium, lead were determined and basic laboratory examinations were performed. The blood morphology was evaluated once a month. RESULTS: Combined therapy resulted in the improvement of blood morphology parameters (hemoglobin [Hb] before treatment 9.9 +/-1.4 g/dl, during treatment 10.7 +/- 1.6 g/dl), compared to treatment with erythropoietin (Hb before treatment 9.5 +/- 1.2 g/dl, during treatment 9.9 +/- 1.4 g/dl) or L-carnitine alone (Hb before treatment 11.3 +/- 1.0 g/dl, during treatment 12.0 +/- 1.1 g/dl). Combined therapy was associated with the reduction of erythropoietin dosage during treatment from 6287 +/- 1987 units/week to 2286 +/- 1684 units/week. The correlation between serum carnitine concentration and erythrocyte osmotic resistance indicates indirectly the beneficial effect of L-carnitine administration on erythrocyte cell membrane stabilization.
