Effects of Carnitine on Oxidative Stress to IVIR Administration to CKD Patients:Impact of Haptoglobin Genotype

Anemia is a common disorder in CKD patients. It is largely attributed to decreased erythropoietin (EPO) production and iron deficiency. Therefore, besides EPO, therapy includes iron replenishment. However, the latter induces oxidative stress. Haptoglobin (Hp) protein is the main line of defense against the oxidative effects of Hemoglobin/Iron. There are 3 genotypes: 1-1, 2-1 and 2-2. Hp 2-2 protein is inferior to Hp 1-1 as antioxidant. So far, there is no evidence whether haptoglobin genotype affects iron-induced oxidative stress in CKD patients. In this proposed study we wished to examine whether Hp genotype influences intravenous iron administration (IVIR)-induced oxidative stress in CKD patients, and its impact on the response of these patients to L-Carnitine therapy.