Correction of anemia with erythropoietin (EPO) is associated with improved kidney
transplant outcomes. Emerging evidence, predominantly from animal models, indicates that
these observations may be erythropoiesis-independent and that EPO exhibits
immunosuppressive properties. We examined the effects of EPO on human T-cell
alloimmunity by first documenting that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells express EPO receptor (EPO-
R) on their surfaces. In mixed lymphocyte reactions, EPO induced a dose-dependent …