We have read with interest the letter of Lisowska et al., submitted to Haematologica in response to our manuscript “Macrophages as novel target cells for erythropoietin” by Lifshitz et al., published in Haematologica in June 2010. In their commentary, Lisowska et al. claim that: (1) we have neglected to acknowledge their longstanding contribution in the field of erythropoietin as an immunomodulator, and that (2) we have failed to cite their very recent findings that lymphocytes express EPO-Rs.
We consider it important to respond to their comments and to clarify the relevant points.
In summary then, we did refer to publications referred to in Lisowska et al., as far as they were pertinent to our studies and findings, and there was no point in citing them in the particular study which focused on macrophages.8
References
- Prutchi-Sagiv S, Golishevsky N, Oster HS, Katz O, Cohen A, Naparstek E. Erythropoietin Treatment in Advanced Multiple Myeloma is Associated with Improved Immunological Functions: Could it be Beneficial in Early Disease?. Br J Haematol. 2006; 135(5):660-72. Google Scholar
- Prutchi-Sagiv S, Neumann D, Mittelman M. Erythropoietin as an Immunotherapeutic Agent: New Uses for an Old Drug?. Med Hypoth Res. 2005; 2:587-96. Google Scholar
- Bryl E, Myśliwska J, Debska-Slizień A, Rachoń D, Bullo B, Lizakowski S. The influence of recombinant human erythropoietin on tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 production by whole blood cell cultures in hemodialysis patients. Artif Organs. 1988; 22(3):177-81. Google Scholar
- Bryl E, Myśliwska J, Debska-Slizień A, Trzonkowski P, Rachoń D, Bullo B. Recombinant human erythropoietin stimulates production of interleukin 2 by whole blood cell cultures of hemodialysis patients. Artif Organs. 1999; 23(9):809-16. Google Scholar
- Debska-Slizien A, Rutkowski B, Manitius J, Zdrojewski Z, Szolkiewicz M, Bullo B. Influence of erythropoietin on immunological system of patients with chronic renal failure. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2003; 15(88):326-7. Google Scholar
- Trzonkowski P, Mysliwska J, Debska-Slizien A, Bryl E, Rachon D, Mysliwski A, Rutkowski B. Long-term therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin decreases percentage of CD152(+) lymphocytes in primary glomerulonephritis haemodialysis patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2002; 17(6):1070-80. Google Scholar
- Lisowska KA, Debska-Slizien A, Bryl E, Rutkowski B, Witkowski JM. Erythropoietin receptor is expressed on human peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes and monocytes and is modulated by recombinant human erythropoietin treatment. Artif Organs. 2010; 34(8):654-62. Google Scholar
- Lifshitz L, Tabak G, Mittelman M, Gassmann M, Neumann D. Macrophages as novel targets for erythropoietin. Haematologica. 2010; 95(11):1823-31. Google Scholar