Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
Erythropoietin (ESF) is a hormone active in the regulation of RBC formation. It was commonly thought to originate only in the kidney and is believed to be activated or produced in the kidney in response to hypoxia. Three of 4 human renal allograft patients described here demonstrate that significant ESF activity occurs in the renoprival state. This observation in humans is consistent with previous experimental findings that an extrarenal source or sources of ESF do exist, and that humoral regulation of erythropoiesis persists in anephric man and animals. The validity of ESF detection as a prognostic indicator of graft viability and function is discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.