Open AccessCMV Seropositivity Determines Epoetin Dose and Hemoglobin Levels in Patients with CKD
Author(s) -
Michiel G. H. Betjes,
Willem Weimar,
Nicolle H.R. Litjens
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the american society of nephrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.451
H-Index - 279
eISSN - 1533-3450
pISSN - 1046-6673
DOI - 10.1681/asn.2009040400
Subject(s) - hemodialysis , medicine , epoetin alfa , hemoglobin , immunology , gastroenterology
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive patients with ESRD may have more CD4(+) T cells lacking the co-stimulatory molecule CD28 (CD4(+)CD28null) than CMV-seronegative patients. Increased numbers of CD28null T cells associates with epoetin nonresponsiveness in patients with ESRD, but whether expansion of CD4+CD28null T cells in CMV-seropositive patients associates with demand for epoetin is unknown. In a cohort of 129 stable patients with ESRD, CMV seropositivity significantly associated with a lower hemoglobin level in predialysis patients (12.5 versus 11.5 g/dl; P < 0.02). CMV seropositivity did not associate with average hemoglobin level in hemodialysis patients, but CMV-seropositive patients required significantly more epoetin (median 12,000 versus 6300 U/wk; P = 0.02). Multivariate linear regression analysis identified CMV seropositivity as the only variable significantly associated with hemoglobin levels in predialysis patients and epoetin dosages in hemodialysis patients. In CMV-seropositive hemodialysis patients, the number of circulating CD4(+)CD28null T cells positively correlated with epoetin dosage. These CD4(+)CD28null T cells were proinflammatory; they were capable of producing large amounts of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. In conclusion, expansion of CD4(+)CD28null T cells in CMV-seropositive patients with ESRD associates with increased demand for epoetin.