Mononucleosis and EPO: is there a connection?

With all this fuss about the use of EPO in cycling in recent years and how injectable EPO in the lab was virtually undetectable until very recently (2003), as well as how the US Anti-Doping Agency, the World Agency Anti-Doping (WADA) and others Doping laboratories around the world suspect athletes of freely using performance-enhancing drugs, namely EPO; some officials are beginning to openly vent their frustrations with the shortcomings (lack of funds) of the aforementioned agencies.

With recent reports of several athletes contracting mononucleosis, I was curious and decided to do an internet search to see if there was a possibility of a connection between EPO and mononucleosis and found this initial report (excerpt below).

Author: Paul Schick, MD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Internal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine; Research Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Drexel University School of Medicine:

“Pure red blood cell aplasia

• Respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, primary atypical pneumonia, infectious mononucleosis, mumps, and viral hepatitis can trigger pure red cell aplasia.
• It is important to note that EPO appears to be a rare complication when considering that approximately 3 million patients are treated with EPO worldwide. However, remain aware of the possibility of this complication. In 2002, Casadevall et al recommended that patients receiving EPO should undergo neutralization testing for anti-EPO antibodies as soon as possible after the onset of unexplained anemia.
• Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) was recently introduced and has a different carbohydrate structure than endogenous EPO. Patients receiving this agent should be closely monitored.
• Obviously, administration of EPO for athletic performance should be avoided. “http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1967.htm

“- medical side effects

EPO commonly “thickens” the blood, causing additional circulatory stress as well as clogging (clotting) of the smaller blood vessels. The use of EPO is dangerous as it stresses elements in the circulation and, quite often, it is enough to precipitate systemic failures that would otherwise function normally under natural levels of stress.”

http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol56/fourdrug.htm

“What are the side effects of misusing EPO?

While the proper use of EPO has enormous therapeutic benefit in the treatment of anemia related to cancer or kidney disease, its misuse can pose serious health risks to athletes who use this substance simply to obtain a competitive advantage. It is well known that EPO, by thickening the blood, increases the risk of several deadly diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary embolism. Misuse of recombinant human EPO can also lead to autoimmune diseases with serious health consequences.”

http://www.wada-ama.org/en/dynamic.ch2?pageCategory.id=626

Does this mean that if you have mono, you have used EPO? No, it could be viral, but if you’re an athlete, the US Anti-Doping Agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and other anti-doping labs around the world will have their red flags waving for months!

With this information I got worried, because if there are tennis players out there, champions, champions to be champions or not, before they even think about using EPO, they should be aware of the consequences.

Why risk your life for a medal, a cup or a few more dollars? Players and athletes, just say NO and stay away from the EPO! Your health and your life is more important to all of us than if you win.

Sincerely

Sergio Cruz