Acute coronary syndrome with intraventricular thrombus after using erythropoietin.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hemopoietic hormone, which controls erythropoiesis, produced by the renal interstitium in response to hypoxia (1). Furthermore, erythropoietin receptors were found on endothelial cells, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes (1). Erythropoietin was associated with significant reduction in infarct size and apoptosis, improvement in ischemia-induced neovascularization and increase in left ventricular function (2-5). We describe a professional wrestler, who had taken intravenous EPO with the intention of doping 1 day before the contest, with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with intraventricular thrombus.