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Roxadustat for dialysis patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness: a single-center, prospective investigation

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Abstract

Dialysis patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness suffered from refractory anemia. Roxadustat reversibly binds and inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PHD), resulting in increased endogenous EPO which stimulates erythropoiesis, theoretically has an advantage over exogenous EPO in anti-anemia therapy. From September 2019 to October 2020, 32 dialysis patients with hypo-responsiveness to erythropoietin were evaluated. During the 24-week follow-up period, all patients were taken off erythropoietin and switched to roxadustat. Dosage adjustments were administrated according to the fluctuation of hemoglobin level during the treatment. Parameters about anemia, iron metabolism and biochemical indexes were collected, and adverse events were recorded. A total of 31 patients completed the clinical observation, with varying degrees of malnutrition-inflammation. Post treatment, the levels of transferrin and total iron-binding capacity were increased, while that of transferrin saturation and cholesterol decreased. 15 cases (accounting for 48.39%, designated as fulfilled group) met the target level of hemoglobin, while 16 cases (51.61%, non-fulfilled group) did not. The baseline conditions of the above two groups were compared. The levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and serum ferritin in the non-fulfilled group were higher than those in the fulfilled group, and the levels of residual renal function, serum albumin, iron, transferrin and total iron-binding capacity were lower than those in the fulfilled group. Linear regression analysis showed that increase of HsCRP had a negative effect on the improvement of Hb. One case of adverse reaction grade 3 and four cases of grade 2 occurred throughout the study, yet all were relieved after therapy. Significant anti-anemia effects could be achieved in most patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness after treatment with roxadustat, accompanied by relatively mild and rare adverse reactions. The malnutrition-inflammation states of patients may interfere with the anti-anemia effect of roxadustat, and iron utilization is more important than iron storage in anemia improvement.

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The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the physicians and interns for their labor in the study procedures and all the participating patients for their cooperation.

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Author notes

  1. Yue Zhou and Xiao-xia Chen are contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Blood Purification Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China

    Yue Zhou, Xiao-xia Chen, Ji-zhuang Lou & Hong-bo Yuan

  2. Department of Healthcare-Associated Infection Management, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China

    Ya-feng Zhang

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  1. Yue Zhou
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  2. Xiao-xia Chen
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Correspondence to Ji-zhuang Lou or Hong-bo Yuan.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, and the results presented in this paper have not been published previously in whole or part.

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All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All patients have given their written informed consent and the study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Nanjing first hospital.

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Zhou, Y., Chen, Xx., Zhang, Yf. et al. Roxadustat for dialysis patients with erythropoietin hypo-responsiveness: a single-center, prospective investigation. Intern Emerg Med 16, 2193–2199 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-021-02738-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-021-02738-4

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