SERUM ERYTHROPOIETIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH SEPSIS AND SEPTIC SHOCK

The role of the immune system in the control of the production of eryt hropoietin is still poorly understood. Herein, the levels of circulati ng immunoreactive erythropoietin, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interl eukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 were determined in 10 septic patients f or up to 4 d following the admission to an internal intensive care uni t. The data show that the production of erythropoietin was not suppres sed despite an increase in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Ci rculating erythropoietin and interleukin-6 greatly increased in the 6 nonsurviving patients. The pattern of the serum erythropoietin level i n the nonsurvivors resembled that of acute phase proteins and was inde pendent of the blood haemoglobin concentration. Similar to interleukin 6, abnormally high serum erythropoietin levels appear to be a negativ e prognostic indicator in patients suffering from septic shock.