EFFECTS OF ERYTHROPOIETIN ON GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

Erythropoietin (EPO) therapy is widely used to correct the anemia of e nd-stage renal disease. It has been reported that this treatment affec ts various hormonal systems. The aim of the present study was to evalu ate the effects of EPO therapy on glucose tolerance. Anemia was correc ted with EPO in 10 patients on chronic hemodialysis therapy. Oral gluc ose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed before and after correction of anemia. The following measurements were made: the areas under the g lucose curves (AUC(gluc)), the areas over basal glucose values (OABVgl uc), the areas under the insulin curves (AUC(ins)) and the areas over basal insulin values (AOBV(ins)). Hemoglobin concentration increased f rom 70 +/- 1.4 g/l to 111 +/- 1 g/l. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin a nd glucagon levels were not affected by correction of the anemia. Foll owing administration of EPO, AOBV(gluc) increased by 19%, from 2101 +/ - 243 to 2508 +/- 230 mmol min/l (p <0.02), while AOBV(ins) remained u nchanged. AUG(ins), and AUC(gluc) remained unchanged. These data show that correction of anemia with EPO in hemodialyzed patients causes an increase in the glycemic response to an oral glucose load while not af fecting the insulin response.