ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Investigate whether changes in vitamin D levels affected erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) requirements in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with anemia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of nondialysis-dependent patients with CKD of all stages. Patients were anemic and on ESA with at least 2 documented 25-hydroxylated vitamin D (D25) levels drawn 4 months apart. Patients were grouped based on the change in their D25 levels. The primary end point evaluated was absolute change in the ESA doses needed to maintain target hemoglobin levels between 11 and 12 g/dl. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis. With the exception of the normal-to-low D25 group, patients showed a trend toward lower ESA doses with time. The low-to-normal vitamin D group showed a significant reduction in dose of 24% (1,415 units, p = 0.025). The normal-to-low group, however, showed a 22% increase in dose of 1,270 units (NS). Levels of Ca, PTH, and iron indexes were similar across all groups. CONCLUSION: Our retrospective cohort study demonstrates an ESA sparing effect in patients with vitamin D deficiency after repletion to normal levels. Conversely, there was a trend toward increased ESA requirements in patients who became vitamin D deficient from a previously normal state.
Subject(s)
Anemia/drug therapy , Anemia/etiology , Hematinics/therapeutic use , Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications , Vitamin D Deficiency/blood , Aged , Analysis of Variance , Biomarkers/blood , Chi-Square Distribution , Female , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A patient with renal failure due to Goodpasture's syndrome was treated with vancomycin. After he had received 3 g of the drug, his white blood cell count fell to a level of 200/microliter. Bone marrow biopsy disclosed severe myeloid hypoplasia. The patient subsequently recovered fully from this episode of vancomycin-induced agranulocytosis, but he eventually died of other causes. Vancomycin-related leukopenia has been reported, but the severely depressed white blood cell count and myeloid hypoplasia observed in this patient have not previously been described. Vancomycin must be excluded as the cause of leukopenia in any patient who is receiving this drug.