SERUM ERYTHROPOIETIN AND ERYTHROPOIESIS DURING 6 YEARS AFTER KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION

We have studied serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels during 6 years after kidney transplantation in 16 patients. There was a serum EPO peak aro und 50 mU/ml after 5 weeks. After 3 months the serum EPO level stabili zed at around 30 mU/ml. Patients with good transplant function had sig nificantly higher serum EPO levels and normalized their hemoglobin (Hb ) after a mean of 3 months. If transplant function was good, Hb was no rmalized even if the serum EPO was only slightly elevated. Patients wi th poor transplant function had lower serum EPO and Hb levels. We conc luded that a good transplant function is the key to a normal erythropo iesis and that small amounts of EPO are needed to improve Hb.