Analysis of correlation between weekly average darbepoetin alfa dose and hemoglobin levels in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis

Abstract

Key words：peritoneal dialysis, renal anemia, darbepoetin alfa, serum albumin 〈Abstract〉 Patients with renal anemia have a narrow target range for hemoglobin levels. In some cases, it is difficult to maintain hemoglobin levels within this target range. To manage the treatment of renal anemia in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, we examined the relationship between the weekly average darbepoetin alfa dose and hemoglobin levels. The weekly average darbepoetin alfa dose for 15 weeks before a blood test exhibited the highest correlation with hemoglobin levels. Of 39 patients, 22 exhibited a significant positive correlation among ／ these parameters(p＜0.05). On the other hand, the number of patients with serum albumin levels≦3.0 g／dL was significantly higher in the group that exhibited no correlation as compared to the group that did(p＝0.01). Using the weekly average darbepoetin alfa dose over 15 weeks, we can estimate the weekly average dose necessary for maintaining hemoglobin levels within the target range. This study demonstrates that examining the relationship between the weekly average darbepoetin alfa dose and hemoglobin levels is useful for determining the ideal dose of darbepoetin alfa in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.