The effect of erythropoietin (rh-EPO) on in-vitro proliferation of granulocyte/monocyte-determined stem cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood

Aim: The aim of the investigation was to determine the effect of recombinan t human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) therapy on in-vitro proliferation of granul ocyte/monocyte(gm)-determined stem cells in bone marrow and peripheral bloo d. Patients and Methods: The study comprised 28 dialysis patients (15 female, 13 male, aged between 22 and 78 years, dialysis sessions 3 times weekly 4 t o 5 hours, mean duration time of dialysis treatment 4 to 99 months). Stem c ell parameters were estimated before and after reaching the target hematocr it and the absolute number of leukocytes in peripheral blood was measured. Results: No alteration in total leukocyte number (PMN, monocytes, lymphocyt es) of peripheral blood was found. Dialysis patients had a diminished proli feration capacity of colony forming unit-granulocyte/monocyte (CFU-GM) in b one marrow and an increased one in peripheral blood. The CFU-GM proliferati on capacity in bone marrow improved during rh-EPO (34,3 +/- 5,8 x 10(5)/ml vs 120,5 +/- 37,8 x 10(5)/ml), whereas no changes in peripheral blood could be observed (46,7 +/- 7,15 x 10(5)/ml vs 37,6 +/- 12,05 x 10(5)/ml).