Effects of blood transfusions on some hematological variables in endurance athletes

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Abstract
Selected hematological variables (blood hemogloblin concentration [Hb], serum (s-) iron, s-bilirubin, s-ferritin, blood lactate, and s-erythropoietin [Epo]) were analzyed before and for 4 wk after autologous blood transfusion. A group of well-trained (8 male and 4 female) former endurance atheletes was phlebotomized and 3-4 months later reinfused with the freezer-stored autologous red blood cells (RBC) from 1350 ml of blood. The [Hb] increased significantly (P < 0.001 for both sexes) from 146.7 .+-. 5.31 and 131.7 .+-. 11.20 g .cntdot. l-1 immediately before reinfusion to maximum values of 163.5 .+-. 7.47 and 155.9 .+-. 11.43 g .cntdot. l-1 (mean .+-. SD) in males and females, respectively, 2d after reinfusion. S-iron increased transiently 5 h after reinfusion. S-bilirubin remained unchanged throughout the study. S-ferritin increased gradually (P < 0.02) from 48 .+-. 32.91 mmol .cntdot. l-1 before reinfusion to a maximum of 80.8 .+-. 39.52 mmol .cntdot. l-1 2 wk after reinfusion. S-[Epo] increased transiently (P < 0.01) from 8.83 .+-. 2.51 (mean .+-. SD) to 12.36 .+-. 5.64 U .cntdot. l-1, (mean .+-. SD) 5 h after reinfusion. Subsequently, there was a significant marked decrease in s-[Epo] to 5.85 .+-. 1.32 U .cntdot. l-1, (mean .+-. SD) 1 d after reinfusion (P < 000.1, as compared to before reinfusion). Thereafter, s-[Epo] remained low throughout the study. Blood lactate was significantly decreased only the first 2 d after infusion (P < 0.05). An increase in [Hb] > 5% and a decrease in s-[Epo] of 30% was noted in 8/12 (75%) of the athletes after 1 wk and 3/12 (25%) after 2 wk. In conclusion, an algorithm based on an increase in [Hb] and a decrease in s-[Epo] might indicate blood transfusion with autologous freezer-stored RBC. However, the transfusion-induced decrease in s-[Epo] in subjects with normal s-[Epo] is relatively small, and it is doubtful whether the suggested algorithm can be used to indicate unequivocally a connection between blood transfusion and an individual athlete.