Low doses of recombinant erythropoietin in the treatment of renal anemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis and ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

Aim. A comparative study of efficiency and safety of low-dose erythropoieti n (EP) in two groups of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF): patients on chronic hemodialysis (CHD) and patients on continuous ambulatory hemodi alysis (CAHD). Materials and methods. 51 CRF adult patients with renal anemia on hemodialy sis entered the trial: 34 CHD and 17 CAHD patients EP compounds were inject ed s.c. in a dose 1000-2000 U 2-3 times a week. Results. EP treatment provided a rapid correction of renal anemia in the ma jority of patients. After 3-month EP therapy a mean increment of Hct (Hct d elta) was much greater (p < 0.05) in CAHD than CHD patients (12.2 +/- 6.0 a nd 9.0 +/- 5.1%, respectively), though EP dose were the same in both the gr oups. Conclusion. Low doses of recombinant human EP injected subcutaneously were effective and safe for correction of anemia in both CHD and CAHD. In CAHD p atients EP effectiveness was much higher than in CHD patients.