Effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPOCH) on the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems and platelet function in pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal failure.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the systems of coagulation and fibrinolysis are activated after human recombinant erythropoietin therapy in patients with end-stage renal failure and renal anemia. Six thousand IU of human recombinant erythropoietin (EPOCH) were administered intravenously to 11 patients once a week for 8 weeks. Coagulation, fibrinolysis and platelet as well as renal functions were investigated before and after the EPOCH therapy. Platelet count did not increase in spite of improvement in anemia. No changes in prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, concentrations of fibrinogen, fibrinopeptide A, thrombin antithrombin III complex, fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), FDP-E, FDP-D dimer, plasmin alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex were observed. Platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin also were unchanged. Reciprocal changes in serum creatinine concentrations over the duration of therapy were compared before and after therapy. There was no significant difference between the reciprocal changes in serum creatinine concentrations before and after therapy. The increases in hemoglobin did not correlate with the changes in coagulation, fibrinolysis and the other parameters, except for the change in prothrombin time. These results indicate that coagulation, fibrinolysis and platelet systems in end-stage renal failure patients were not affected by EPOCH administration, in spite of increase in hemoglobin.