Erythropoietin administration does not influence the GH--IGF axis or makers of bone turnover in recreational athletes

Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2005 Sep;63(3):305-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2005.02342.x.

Abstract

Objective: Measurement of biochemical markers of the IGF-system and of collagen turnover is a potential approach to detect GH abuse in sport. These markers are increased in patients on dialysis treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO), mimicking the effects of GH. The aim was to determine whether r-HuEPO induces similar effects on the IGF-system and collagen turnover in healthy athletes.

Subjects and measurements: Young male Caucasian recreational athletes were administered 50 U/kg r-HuEPO (n=14) or placebo (n=16) three times a week for 25 days, followed by a 4-week wash-out period. IGF-I, IGFBP-3, the acid labile subunit (ALS), N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and N-terminal propeptide of type III collagen (PIIINP) were measured in samples collected at baseline (two samples), after 10, 22 and 24 days of r-HuEPO treatment and at the end of the 4-week wash-out period.

Results: Treatment with r-HuEPO resulted in approximately threefold elevation of serum EPO and marked elevation of markers of erythropoiesis. There was no significant treatment effect of r-HuEPO compared to baseline on IGF-I, IGFBP-3, ALS, PINP, ICTP or PIIINP.

Conclusions: r-HuEPO administration did not change markers of the IGF-system and of collagen turnover in young healthy male athletes. Therefore, use of r-HuEPO in athletes should not affect the validity of a GH doping test using these GH-responsive markers.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Bone Remodeling / drug effects*
  • Carrier Proteins / blood
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • Collagen Type I
  • Doping in Sports*
  • Erythropoietin / administration & dosage*
  • Erythropoietin / analysis
  • Glycoproteins / blood
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / blood
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / analysis
  • Male
  • Peptide Fragments / blood
  • Peptides
  • Procollagen / blood
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Somatomedins / analysis
  • Somatomedins / metabolism*
  • Sports*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Collagen Type I
  • Glycoproteins
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Peptides
  • Procollagen
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Somatomedins
  • collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide
  • insulin-like growth factor binding protein, acid labile subunit
  • procollagen Type I N-terminal peptide
  • procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide
  • procollagen type I carboxy terminal peptide
  • Erythropoietin
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Collagen