There is no significant difference between once weekly versus thrice weekly subcutaneous administration of rHuEPO. Once weekly administration would require an additional 12 U/kg/wk for patients on haemodialysis, however this is based on one very small study. Cost of additional rHuEPO needs to assessed with regard to patient preference and compliance.
Treatment of the anemia with human recombinant erythropoietin in CAPD patients.
Three homogenous groups of CAPD patients, all of them with plasma hemoglobin levels lower than 8 g/dl were studied. Group 1 included 8 patients who received EPO by the subcutaneous route (s.c), at doses of 20 u./kg daily; this dose was reduced when a hemoglobin level higher than 10.5 g/dl was reached. Group 2 included 7 patients treated with EPO by subcutaneous route but at doses of 2000 units twice a week. Group 3 was constituted by 4 patients receiving EPO by intraperitoneal route (i.p.), at doses of 4000 u/day, three days a week. All patients showed an increase in hematocrit and Hb levels after three months of treatment, but the mean EPO dose was quite different comparing the groups, maintaining the reached levels at the 9th month; reticulocyte count increased only during the first month. The rest of clinical and biochemical parameters did not suffer any significant modifications. Our features showed a higher profit, that is, higher increase in Hb level with lower dose of EPO in the s.c. group in respect to i.p. group. Furthermore, we have registered a marked increase in the frequency of exogenous peritonitis in these particular patients while using i.p. EPO. In conclusion, we feel that subcutaneous route for H-R-Erythropoietin is an ideal way for this treatment, resulting in a more adequate profit ratio than that described in hemodialysis patients. The intraperitoneal route is more expensive and risky for the peritoneum, probably as a consequence of the increase of manipulations.