Use of erythropoietin after solid organ transplantation

Anaemia is common after solid organ transplantation. Although many impressive experimental data about the organoprotective properties of erythropoietin (EPO) have been reported, there are only scant clinical and experimental data about EPO use after solid organ transplantation. Since the treatment targets of anaemia in chronic kidney disease cannot be transferred to organ recipients for several reasons (rejection, immunosuppression, infection), the recommendations for optimal targets in the treatment of anaemia remain uncertain. Moreover, further studies will be necessary to clarify whether EPO administration might have haemoglobin-independent beneficial effects.