An approach to using recombinant erythropoietin for neuroprotection in very preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: Erythropoietin has been shown to be protective against hypoxic-ischemic and inflammatory injuries in cell culture, animal models of brain injury, and clinical trials of adult humans. The rationale for our study was that early administration of high-dose recombinant human erythropoietin may reduce perinatal brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia) in very preterm infants and improve neurodevelopmental outcome. We investigated whether administration of high-dose recombinant human erythropoietin to very preterm infants shortly after birth and subsequently during the first 2 days is safe in terms of short-term outcome.

METHODS: This was a randomized, double-masked, single-center trial with a 2:1 allocation in favor of recombinant human erythropoietin. Preterm infants (gestational age: 24 to 31 weeks) were given recombinant human erythropoietin or NaCl 0.9% intravenously 3, 12 to 18, and 36 to 42 hours after birth.

RESULTS: The percentage of infants who survived without brain injury or retinopathy was 53% in the recombinant human erythropoietin group and 60% in the placebo group. There were no relevant differences regarding short-term outcomes such as intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. For 5 infants who were in the recombinant human erythropoietin group and had a gestational age of <26 weeks, withdrawal of intensive care was decided (3 of 5 with severe bilateral intraventricular hemorrhage, 2 of 5 with pulmonary insufficiency); no infant of the control group died. Recombinant human erythropoietin treatment did not result in significant differences in blood pressure, cerebral oxygenation, hemoglobin, leukocyte, and platelet count.

CONCLUSIONS: No significant adverse effects of early high-dose recombinant human erythropoietin treatment in very preterm infants were identified. These results enable us to embark on a large multicenter trial with the aim of determining whether early high-dose administration of recombinant human erythropoietin to very preterm infants improves neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months' and 5 years' corrected age.