[The changes of the cell-mediated immunity in patients with administration of recombinant erythropoietin]

The change of cell-mediated immunity was studied in patients receiving open heart surgery with or without administration of recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO). Group I was not administered rEPO in 30 patients, and Group II was done intravenously with 200U/kg/day of rEPO for 6.4 +/- 2.4 days before operation and also for 7.2 +/- 3.6 days after operation in 20 patients. The ratio of reticulocyte increased in all patients receiving rEPO. In both groups the ratios of OKT3 and OKT4 positive T lymphocytes decreased significantly on postoperative day 1. However, the ratios in patients with rEPO increased more significantly than in those without rEPO. Lymphocyte blast formation which was indicated by PHA-SI (phytohemagglutinin stimulation index) increased after administration of rEPO. The postoperative PHA-SI in both groups showed similar changes. The level of interleukin-2 (IL-2) production increased after the administration similar to PHA-SI change. The level of it decreased on postoperative day 1 and increased on postoperative days 3 and 7. We administered 200U/kg/day of rEPO for 7 days in a patient with postoperative erythroderma after open heart surgery and the level of IL-2 production was found to also increase in patient according with recovery of symptom. In conclusion, our data suggested that the rEPO might effect on not only erythrocyte but also lymphocyte activation.