Erythropoietin in Human Plasma in Various Pathological Disorders

Abstract

Plasma from 28 patients with malignant disease, liver and renal damage, polycythemia vera and thyrotoxicosis was examined for erythropoietin activity. There was high activity in 1 case of chronic renal disease with polycythemia, 1 case of thyrotoxicosis, 1 case of thyroid carcinoma with pulmonary metastases and in 2 cases of infectious hepatitis. In the remaining patients, including several with various types of renal or neoplastic disease, 1 case of infectious hepatitis, 2 cases of liver cirrhosis and 2 patients with polycythemia vera, the erythropoietin activity was normal and in some cases even lower than normal.