ENDOCRINE EFFECTS OF ERYTHROPOIETIN

Uremic men may manifest a variety of hormonal abnormalities, including decreased serum concentrations of testosterone and thyroid hormones a nd increased serum levels of growth hormone and prolactin. Some previo us investigations have reported that erythropoietin therapy may revers e these hormonal changes. To investigate this possibility further, we measured serum prolactin, testosterone, LH, FSH, TSH, free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, growth hormone and IGF-I in 21 generally elderly mal e hemodialysis patients before and during erythropoietin therapy; many of the patients also received an anabolic steroid or metoclopramide t reatment. Despite a significant erythropoietic response in a majority of the subjects, no significant changes were seen in any of the hormon al parameters other than a small decrease in serum growth hormone conc entrations. Advanced age and chronic illness in our patients may have played a role in limiting the hormonal response reported by others.