MEHMET AKIF SARGIN, PINAR BİROL İLTER, MURAT YASSA, ALİ İLTER, MAHMUT YASSA, ELİF ARİ, NİYAZİ TUG
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2023;34(4):350-353
INTRODUCTION: A glycoprotein hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) regulates hematopoiesis, but also affects many other tissues, such as the human endometrium. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are frequently treated for anemia using recombinant EPO. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of recombinant EPO on the postmenopausal endometrium of individuals with CKD. METHODS: This prospectively designed study, non-hysterectomized postmenopausal women who were scheduled for Epoetin alpha treatment for their renal conditions in a nephrology clinic of a tertiary centre were included to the study between February 2017 and January 2018. To assess endometrial thickness measurements by transvaginal ultrasonography before (day 0) and at the 3rd, 30th and 90th days after the first EPO injections. Results: Endometrial thicknessess of the study participants who received EPO (50-150 IU/kg/week) were 2.98±1.07 mm at day 0, 5.01±1.51 mm at day 3, 4.41±2.01 mm at day 30, and 3.79±1.42 mm at day 90. Endometrial thicknessess were significantly higher at 3rd and 30th day visits, when compared to the basal measurements and declined gradually at the 90th day (Repeated measures analysis of variance, post-hoc Tuckey’s test, p<0.01). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Short term recombinant EPO treatment has a reversible proliferative effect on postmenopausal endometrium. In this study, short term reversible proliferative effect of EPO was observed and in one patient a benign endometrial polyp developed. Larger prospective studies could answer the risk of neoplasia in patients on chronic EPO treatment. Our study may contribute to the early diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia or neoplasia by raising awareness about patients receiving EPO treatment.
