Estimation of Anti -erythropoietin Antibody in Children Receiving Erythropoietin Therapy on Haemodialysis

Anaemia affects many haemodialysis patients for a variety of causes. After treatment, anaemia may still occur due to several causes, such as iron deficiency, elevated urea, poor diet, folate and vitamin B deficiencies, and an ineffective dosage of erythropoietin or an antibody for erythropoietin. Therefore, our goal was to identify erythropoietin antibody as a contributing factor to resistant anaemia in children receiving frequent haemodialysis. Methods: Sixty patients with anaemia, who were getting erythropoietin treatment and haemodialysis, participated in a cross-sectional study. At Zagazig University's Children Hospital Faculty of Medicine, the Paediatric Nephrology Unit evaluated the anti-erythropoietin antibody in every case. Results: The neutrophil count, frequency of Epoetin-β administration, and C-reactive protein levels were significant independent predictors of anti-erythropoietin antibody levels. Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between antibody concentrations and the frequency of Epoetin-β and Epoetin-α administrations. And higher anti-erythropoietin antibody levels were associated with more severe anaemia, with a cut-off of ≥524.3925 predicting severe anaemia with 80% sensitivity and 87.3% specificity. Conclusion: In children receiving routine haemodialysis, anti-erythropoietin antibody levels could be a valuable biomarker for assessing the degree of anaemia, providing an efficient tool for clinical decision-making and early intervention.