Epoetin-induced autoimmune pure red cell aplasia

During the first 10 yr of therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin ([EPO]), only three cases of antibody-associated pure red cell aplasia have been described in patients who were treated with EPO, whereas several millions of patients have received this treatment. Thus, the possibility for epoetin to induce the formation of anti-EPO antibodies was considered extremely low. However, since 1998, a significant increase in the number of cases of EPO-induced pure red cell aplasia has been found in patients with chronic kidney disease with a peak in 2001 and 2002. The incidence rate seems now to be back to the baseline level. The change in formulation of epoetin a sold outside the United States seems to be the cause of these antibodies.