Pulmonary hypertension and erythropoietin.

Numerous uremic patients on hemodialysis have pulmonary hypertension attributable to the presence of arteriovenous fistulas, vascular calcification, and endothelial dysfunction due to alterations in the balance between vasoconstrictive and vasodilatory substances. For these reasons, the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin, a drug widely used in patients on dialysis, on the pulmonary circulation were studied. Some authors maintain that recombinant human erythropoietin has an antihypertensive effect, while others have observed that this hormone induces a reduction in pulmonary arterial pressure due to its vasoactive and stimulatory effects on endothelial and smooth muscle cell precursors. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.