Erythropoietin activity in anephric humans given prolonged androgen treatment

Anephric male and female patients maintained on chronic hemodialysis programs have significant levels of extrarenal erythropoietin (ESF) activity. This extrarenal ESF activity is responsive to sustained high‐dose androgen treatment. However, the response cannot be maintained, and this is also reflected in the hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. A rebound or ESF overshoot was observed after androgen therapy in renoprival patients as well as in a uremic patient with intact and diseased kidneys. Extrarenal ESF is not only detectable in plasma but also in thoracic lymph fluid from anephric patients subjected to androgen therapy.