Erythropoietin (EPO) is well known as the hormone causing erythropoiesis. Over the last decade, research has shown that EPO plays a pivotal role in the healing of acute and chronic wounds due to its significant anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative effects. The large, prospective, randomized, double-blind, multi-center phase II study “EPO in Burns“ was initiated to investigate the effects of EPO in severely burned patients. The primary endpoint of the study was the time until complete re-epithelialization of a defined skin graft donor site (SGDS).
In this thesis, the experimental EPO group and its control group of the “EPO in Burns“ trail are compared against each other. It is tested for heterogeneous treatment effects using subgroups that were defined by secondary diagnosis such as arterial hypertension and sepsis and concomitant medications. The investigated drugs include insulin, vasopressor agents, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and two antibiotics. In addition gender differences are analysed.
Life tables are used to compare study groups (EPO vs. placebo) within subgroups. The Cox regression model is applied to evaluate the interaction between the study groups and the subgroups for each re-epithelialization level.
Results of the post hoc analyses indicate a faster onset of re-epithelialization in the first days of EPO treatment. Furthermore, EPO might have a positive, synergistic effect on early stages of re epithelialization in combination with insulin and a stabilizing effect on critically ill patients (lower numbers of vasopressors in the EPO group). As a side effect, we observed, in our study population, slower wound healing in women, compared to men. However, more clinical trials need to be conducted to gain further insight into these effects.
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Erythropoietin (EPO) is well known as the hormone causing erythropoiesis. Over the last decade, research has shown that EPO plays a pivotal role in the healing of acute and chronic wounds due to its significant anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative effects. The large, prospective, randomized, double-blind, multi-center phase II study “EPO in Burns“ was initiated to investigate the effects of EPO in severely burned patients. The primary endpoint of the study was the time until complete re-epithe...
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