Erythropoietin (EPO)
| Category | Biochemistry >> Endocrinology |
|---|---|
| Test background |
EPO is secreted at the juxta-glomerular junction of the kidney nephron to stimulate red cell haematopoiesis. As the packed cell volume (PCV) is lowered by iron deficiency, aplastic or haemolytic anaemia, the concentration of erythropoietin increases proportionately. In the absence of anaemia, elevated concentrations are seen in renal tumours, as a sign of renal transplant rejection, secondary polycythaemia and as a manifestation of myeloproliferative disease. Low values may be observed in haemachromatosis. |
| Clinical Indications |
Monitoring of anaemia in renal impairment Differential diagnosis of polycythaemia Monitoring of EPO treatment |
| Reference range | 5.0 – 25.0 mU/mL |
| Sample & container required | SST (gold top) or Serum (red top) |
| Sample volume | 0.5 mL |
| Transport storage | Stable at 2-8°C for 24 hours. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Send to lab frozen. If sample fresh and not frozen, first class post is acceptable. |
| Turnaround time | 10 days |
| Notes | Grossly haemolysed samples are unsuitable for this assay. Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics has confirmed through internal investigation that the IMMULITE® 2000 XPi EPO assay is susceptible to biotin interference. This occurs when biotin present in patient samples interferes (interference > 10% at biotin concentrations > 2 ng/mL or > 8 nmol/L) with the biotin-streptavidin assay architecture on the IMMULITE platform. |