Published online May 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i9.1353
Revised: December 2, 2003
Accepted: December 24, 2003
Published online: May 1, 2004
AIM: To investigate the serum erythropoietin (Epo) levels in patients with chronic liver diseases and to compare to subjects with iron-deficiency anaemia and healthy controls.
METHODS: We examined 31 anaemic (ALC) and 22 non-anaemic (NALC) cirrhotic patients, 21 non- anaemic subjects with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 24 patients with iron-deficiency anaemia (ID) and 15 healthy controls. Circulating Epo levels (ELISA; R&D Systems, Europe Ltd, Abingdon, UK) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration were determined in all subjects.
RESULTS: Mean ± SD of Epo values was 26.9±10.8 mU/mL in ALC patients, 12.5 ± 8.0 mU/mL in NALC subjects, 11.6 ± 6.3 mU/mL in CAH patients, 56.4 ± 12.7 mU/mL in the cases of ID and 9.3 ± 2.6 mU/mL in controls. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in Epo levels between controls, CAH and NALC patients. ALC individuals had higher Epo levels (P < 0.01) than these groups whereas ID subjects had even higher levels (P < 0.001) than patients suffering from ALC.
CONCLUSION: Increased Epo values in cirrhotics, are only detectable when haemoglobin was lesser than 12 g/dL. Nevertheless, this rise in value is lower than that observed in anaemic patients with iron-deficiency and appears blunted and inadequate in comparison to the degree of anaemia.