Post transplantation anemia: re-emphasizing the use of erythropoietin

One of the most common problems that are usually encountered post transplantation is anemia. It is a widely recognized problem in most of the transplantation centers. The causes that invoke the anemia process in transplant patients are variable, and the morphology of anemia differs according to the underlying etiology. One of the frequently reported causes is the bone marrow suppression by the anti rejection therapies, mainly azathioprine and mycophenylate mofetil (MMF). Other causes that might be responsible for the anemia in patients with normally functioning allograft include Parvo virus infection of the bone marrow, erythropoietin deficiency, bone marrow fibrosis secondary to long standing secondary hyperparathyroidism, and rarely, primary blood diseases.