Evaluation of the effect of pentoxifylline on erythropoietin-resistant anemia in hemodialysis patients

Use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo) improves hemoglobin (Hgb) in 90–95% of the cases of anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is known that proinflammatory cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) suppress erythropoiesis, resulting in inadequate response to rh-Epo. Pentoxifylline has been shown to have modulatory effects on the immune system. This prospective study to evaluate the effect of pentoxyphylline on erythropoeisis was performed on 15 (eight males, seven females) clinically stable patients who had been on hemodialysis for at least six months with anemia (Hgb of