Comparison of the Therapeutic Effect of Erythropoietin Alone and with the Combination of L-Carnitine on Hemoglobin Levels in Hemodialysis Patients

Vahid  Sheikhi; Aghil  Miri; Majid  Sartipi; Hosseinali  Khazaei; Elham  Shahraki; Fatemeh  Attaran

doi:10.18502/igj.v6i4.17098

Vahid Sheikhi Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Aghil Miri Department of Pediatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Majid Sartipi Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Hosseinali Khazaei Medical Immunology and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Elham Shahraki Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrologist, Ali Ibne Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Fatemeh Attaran Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrologist, Ali Ibne Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/igj.v6i4.17098

Keywords: Erythropoietin; Hemoglobin; Hemodialysis; L-carnitine

Abstract

Background: L-carnitine deficiency causes various pathological conditions such as muscle weakness and erythropoietin-resistant anemia in hemodialysis patients. The present study was conducted to compare the therapeutic effect of erythropoietin alone and with the combination of L-carnitine on anemia in hemodialysis patients.

Method: In this clinical trial, 24 patients undergoing hemodialysis at Imam Ali Hospital were selected for the study. The eligible participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups: one group received erythropoietin treatment alone, while the other group was treated with a combination of L-carnitine and erythropoietin. Blood samples were collected from all patients for a complete blood count (CBC), and their hemoglobin levels were measured both before and after the treatment.

Results: The mean age of patients in the erythropoietin-only treatment group was 18.66±3.70 years, while in the group receiving both erythropoietin and L-carnitine, it was 23.83±5.70 years. A significant difference in age was found between the two groups (P=0.015). However, there was no significant difference in hemoglobin levels between the groups before treatment (P=0.327). After treatment, the mean hemoglobin levels in the erythropoietin group and the combination therapy group were 9.8±1.6 and 10.6±3.9 g/dL, respectively, with no significant difference observed between the two groups in terms of hemoglobin (P=0.324).

Conclusion: Our findings indicated that treatment with erythropoietin alone, as well as in combination with L-carnitine, did not lead to a significant improvement in blood parameters in hemodialysis patients with anemia.