Özet:

Background and Aims: Anemia is an important problem in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, affecting the prognosis, response to treatment and quality of life of the patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the response of erythropoietin to anemia in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and to determine the factors that might be operative in this response. Materials and Methods: A total of 106 patients with inflammatory bowel disease along with 36 patients with acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage and 16 healthy volunteers were evaluated in this study. Patients with ulcerative colitis were divided into three groups according to the disease localization, and the severity of the disease was recorded according to the Rachmilewitz endoscopic activity index. Similarly, patients with Crohn's disease were divided into three groups according to the disease localization, and the severity of the disease was recorded according to the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) criteria. Serum erythropoietin levels were analyzed by ELISA technique. Results: No statistically significant differences were determined between patient groups and controls with respect to erythropoietin and hemoglobin levels. There was a reverse relation between the erythropoietin and hemoglobin levels in patients with Crohn's disease (r= -0.352, p=0.011), and no correlation was found in patients with ulcerative colitis. The hemoglobin and erythropoietin levels were not statistically different in the active and remission groups of the patients with anemia (p>0.05). The erythropoietin levels were not increased in ulcerative colitis patients with anemia but were increased in patients with Crohn's disease. Conclusions: In our study evaluating the erythropoietin response to anemia in inflammatory bowel disease, patients with Crohn's disease were shown to have a reduced erythropoietin response to chronic anemia.

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