The Study of Efficacy of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Beta in Senile Anemia : A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Background: Senile anemia is an anemia in elderly which no established therapy was well documented. Aim: We study the efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin-beta in treatment of senile anemia. Definition of senile anemia: age > 60 years old who had anemia without any following conditions: chronic infection, chronic inflammation, malignancy, chronic renal failure, chronic liver
disease. The Hbo was less than 13 g/dL in male and less than 12 g/dL in female, WBC greater than 4,000/mm, platelets count greater than 140,000 /mm. Serum ferritin was greater than 45 ng/mL and/or positive iron stain in bone marrow. Mean corpuscular volume was less than 105 fL with normal kidney function (creatinine < 124 mmol/L), liver function test and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP). Peripheral blood smear and bone marrow study showed no features of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) nor any malignancy or specific marrow disorder with normal karyotype. The patient had no occult blood in stool with normal chest X-ray. Materials and Methods: 4 cases of senile anemia are given th-Epo-S 4,000 IU subcutaneously 3 times a week for 4 weeks then evaluate the response every 4 weeks. If the hemoglobin increases less than 1 mg/dL, the dosage of rh-Epo-B is raised to 20,000 and then 30,000 IU if it still doesn't respond to rh-Epo-B. If the hemoglobin retumns to normal, the dosage of rh-Epo-P is reduced to 2 times a week ,once a week and once every 10-14 days respectively. Results: This preliminary report shows that all the
patients respond to rh-Epo-S 4,000 IU within 4 week after treatment without any adverse events. The dosage of drug can be reduced accordingly.