[Does long-term human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) influence secretion of hormones regulating volume and pressure of arterial blood?].

This study aimed to assess the effect of anaemia on volume related hormones in dialyzed patients with chronic uraemia. Three groups of subjects were examined. The first one comprised 34 hemodialyzed patients with severe anaemia (haematocrit value < 28%). 17 patients were treated with EPO for 1 year (EPO group) while the other 17 patients did not receive rHuEPO (no-EPO group) but were intensively monitored biochemically and clinically as patients of the EPO group. The second group (HD) consisted of 12 hemodialyzed uraemic patients with a Hct > 30% without rHuEPO treatment, while the third one comprised 15 healthy subjects. In patients of the EPO and no-EPO group plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma concentration of aldosterone (Ald) atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP and vasopressin (AVP) were assessed before (0) and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of clinical monitoring, while in patients of the HD group and in normals the above mentioned parameters were estimated only once. EPO treatment improved significantly the Hct value already after three months of therapy. No significant changes in PRA and plasma concentrations of Ald, ANP and AVP in the noEPO group were noticed during 12 months of monitoring. In contrast EPO treatment induced a significant, although transitory decrease of PRA, Ald and AVP, but an increase of plasma ANP. No influence of rHuEPO therapy on blood pressure was noticed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)