What is erythropoietin used for?

Erythropoietin (EPO) is produced by the kidney and used to make red blood cells. Erythropoetin-stimulating agents are used often for people with long-term kidney disease and anemia.

What is the action of erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein hormone produced in the kidney that acts on erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. A negative feedback system, in which tissue oxygenation controls Epo production and Epo controls red blood cell (RBC) production, provides homeostasis in oxygen delivery to body tissues.

Why would a doctor prescribe erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin is a type of protein called a growth factor. It is used to treat a low number of red blood cells (anaemia) due to cancer or its treatment.

What are the risks of erythropoietin?

It is well known that EPO, by thickening the blood, leads to an increased risk of several deadly diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary embolism. The misuse of recombinant human EPO may also lead to autoimmune diseases with serious health consequences.

How quickly does erythropoietin work?

How soon after starting EPO medication will I feel better? It will take time for EPO medication to work in your body. Most people take 1 to 2 months to feel better.

What erythropoietin means?

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced primarily by the kidneys, with small amounts made by the liver. EPO plays a key role in the production of red blood cells (RBCs), which carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. This test measures the amount of erythropoietin in the blood.

What is normal erythropoietin level?

The normal range is 2.6 to 18.5 milliunits per milliliter (mU/mL).

What triggers erythropoietin production?

When blood oxygen concentration is normal (normoxia), synthesis of erythropoietin occurs in scattered cells located predominantly in the inner cortex, but under conditions when blood oxygen is deficient (hypoxia), interstitial cells within almost all zones of the kidney begin to produce the hormone.

What causes erythropoietin deficiency?

Low levels of erythropoietin occur when someone is suffering from chronic kidney diseases. Low red blood cell counts cause anemia; symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and dizziness.

What causes erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin is produced and released into the blood by the kidneys in response to low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia). The amount of erythropoietin released depends on how low the oxygen level is and the ability of the kidneys to produce erythropoietin.

What are the major effects of erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. The resulting rise in red cells increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. As the prime regulator of red cell production, erythropoietin’s major functions are to: Promote the development of red blood cells.

What foods contain erythropoietin?

5 nutrients that increase red blood cell counts

• red meat, such as beef.
• organ meat, such as kidney and liver.
• dark, leafy, green vegetables, such as spinach and kale.
• dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins.
• beans.
• legumes.
• egg yolks.

What do you need to know about erythropoietin blood test?

Erythropoietin: Everything you need to know 1 Definition. A doctor may order a blood test to check erythropoietin levels. 2 Function. Erythropoietin helps keep the blood balanced by stimulating the marrow to make red blood cells. 3 Tests. 4 Test results. 5 Injections. 6 Summary.

Are there any side effects when taking erythropoietin?

• Caution should be exercised in patients with history of blood clotting problems, cancer, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, porphyria, blood clot events, heart attack, infections, seizures, stroke, tumors, heart disease, any allergy, who are taking other medications, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What is the role of erythropoietin in the kidney?

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the principal haematopoietic growth factor of the red blood cell line. Its major role is to stimulate the red blood cell production. EPO synthesis by peritubular cells in the kidney is regulated by oxygen concentration and must lead adaptation of the organism to face many different physiological situations.

What is the maintenance dose of erythropoietin?

In patients undergoing dialysis, the median maintenance dose is 75 IU/kg TIW, with a range from 12.5 to 525 IU/kg TIW as directed by the physician. In CRF patients not on dialysis, maintenance dose is 75 to 150 IU/kg/week.