Erythropoietin treatment of erythropoietin-deficient anemia without renal disease during pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The use of recombinant human erythropoietin in pregnancy has been described in patients with renal impairment. We present a patient with a hypoproliferative anemia with low serum erythropoietin levels and no renal disease or other known cause for this type of anemia, who was treated with recombinant human erythropoietin. CASE: A 29-year-old white woman who became pregnant after leuprolide acetate and menopausal gonadotropin therapy developed a moderate anemia (hemoglobin 8.5 g/dL) in early pregnancy. The only important laboratory findings were a hypoproliferative marrow and a low serum erythropoietin level. She was treated successfully with injections of recombinant human erythropoietin. Her pregnancy was otherwise uncomplicated and her pre-delivery hemoglobin level was 12 g/dL. CONCLUSION: Hypoproliferative anemia in pregnancy with low erythropoietin levels and no renal disease can be treated successfully with recombinant human erythropoietin.

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				J. W. Fisher Erythropoietin: Physiology and Pharmacology Update Experimental Biology and Medicine, January 1, 2003; 228(1): 1 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]