The Course of Erythropoietin in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis with Normal and Low Blood-hemoglobin A longitudinal study

Abstract

Graudal N, Nielsen OJ, Gallø AM, Graudal HNK. The Course of Erythropoietin in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis with Normal and Low Blood-hemoglobin. A longitudinal study. Scand J Rheumatol 1993; 22: 86–89,

A consistent elevated level of erythropoietin was found in eight patients with R.A., who continuously for 10 years had a low hemoglobin (<8 mmol/l) compared with nine patients with R.A., who had a normal hemoglobin (<8 mmol/l) (p = 0.017). A significant inverse correlation between erythropoietin and hemoglobin (r = -0.61) was found in the low-hemoglobin group, but not in the normal-hemoglobin group. Erythropoietin was not found to be correlated to clinical variables.

Key Words:

• Erythropoietin
• Hemoglobin
• rheumatoid arthritis