Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of combined therapy with L‑carnitine and erythropoietin on selected blood morphology parameters in patients treated with hemodialysis and to assess whether combined therapy could decrease the requirement for exogenous erythropoietin.

Patients and methods: The results of anemia treatment were compared in three groups of patients: 27 patients treated with L‑carnitine and erythropoietin, 15 patients treated with erythropoietin and 9 patients treated only with L‑carnitine. The patients were treated for 6 months. L‑carnitine was given orally at a dose of 4 × 250 mg daily. Erythropoietin was administered intravenously after each hemodialysis session and the mean dose of erythropoietin at the beginning of observation was 5642 ±2134 units/week. Before treatment serum concentrations of free and total carnitine, parathormone (PTH), aluminium, lead were determined and basic laboratory examinations were performed. The blood morphology was evaluated once a month.

Results: Combined therapy resulted in the improvement of blood morphology parameters (hemoglobin [Hb] before treatment 9.9 ±1.4 g/dl, during treatment 10.7 ±1.6 g/dl), compared to treatment with erythropoietin (Hb before treatment 9.5 ±1.2 g/dl, during treatment 9.9 ±1.4 g/dl) or Lcarnitine alone (Hb before treatment 11.3 ±1.0 g/dl, during treatment 12.0 ±1.1 g/dl). Combined therapy was associated with the reduction of erythropoietin dosage during treatment from 6287 ±1987 units/week to 2286 ±1684 units/week. The correlation between serum carnitine concentration and erythrocyte osmotic resistance indicates indirectly the beneficial effect of L‑carnitine administration on erythrocyte cell membrane stabilization.