Erythropoietin concentrations during 10 days of normobaric hypoxia under controlled environmental circumstances

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Abstract
Serum erythropoietin levels (s‐[epo]), haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), haematocrit (hct), and ferritin concentration ([fer]) were measured in seven healthy male volunteers (20–23 years) exposed continuously to hypoxia (PO2 14 kPa) for 10 days. Serum erythropoietin concentration increased significantly from 9.5 ± 3.51 to 33.6 ± 11.64 U L–1 (P < 0.05) after 2 days of hypoxia. Thereafter, s‐[epo] decreased. However, after 10 days s‐[epo] was 18.7 ± 5.83 U L–1 which was still increased above the pre‐hypoxia level (P < 0.05). Serum haemoglobin concentration and hct increased over the 10 days of hypoxia, [Hb] from 152 ± 8.9 to 168 ± 9.2 gL–1 (P < 0.001), and hct from 43 ± 2.4 to 49 ± 2.6% (P < 0.001). Ferritin concentration decreased significantly during the hypoxic exposure from 82 ± 46.9 to 44 ± 31.7 mmol L–1 after 10 days (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the initial increase of s‐[epo] under controlled normobaric hypoxia was marked, 353%, and levelled off after 5–10 days at 62–97% above normoxia level. There was also a significant increase in [Hb] and hct and a decrease in [fer] after 10 days of exposure to normobaric hypoxia.

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