Poor response to erythropoietin

摘要

Recombinant human erythropoietin was licensed for the treatment of renal anaemia five years ago, and over 90% of patients respond to it. But the few who do not are important both in clinical and financial terms: a 70 kg man failing to respond to a dose of 200 U/kg/week currently costs the NHS £6500 a year. The definition of a poor response to erythropoietin is arbitrary. As most patients with renal anaemia respond to 75-150 U/kg/week any such patient showing a rise in haemoglobin concentration of less than 10 g/l/month despite a dose of greater than 200 U/kg/week may be classed as a "poor responder."