Serum erythropoietin levels in anaemic patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection

Summary. This study attempts to evaluate the adequacy of the erythropoietin (EPO) response in 42 anaemic patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection [30 with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 12 with AIDS-related conditions] by comparing their serum EPO levels with those found in a non-HIV reference population consisting of 3 6 patients with anaemia of chronic disorders (ACD) and 57 with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Although the average Hb concentration was similar in the three groups, the EPO level for HIV patients (mean ± SEM, 64·3 ± 7·7 mU/ml) did not differ significantly from that in ACD patients (45·3 ± 8·3 mU/ml, P > 0·1), and both groups had a lower mean EPO level (P 0·2). These data suggest that the EPO response is blunted in the anaemia associated with advanced HIV infection.