Test, erythropoietin: A test of the hormone EPO (erythropoietin) in blood. The EPO level can indicate bone marrow disorders, kidney disease, or EPO abuse.
Testing EPO blood levels is of value if:
- Too little EPO might be responsible for too few red blood cells (such as in evaluating anemia).
- Too much EPO might be causing too many red blood cells (polycythemia).
- Too much EPO might be evidence for a kidney tumor.
- Too much EPO in an athlete suggests EPO abuse.
The patient is usually asked to fast for 8-10 hours (overnight) and sometimes to lie quietly and relax for 20 or 30 minutes before the test. The test requires a routine sample of blood.
Mayo Clinic reference values ("normal") of EPO are 2.6-18.5 mU/ml (milliunits per milliliter). Subnormal values of EPO are found for example in anemia due to chronic kidney failure. Elevated EPO levels are found for example in polycythemia rubra vera, a disorder characterized by an excess of red blood cells. The correct interpretation of an abnormal EPO level depends on the patient's clinical status
