Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032463 (polycythemia vera)
3,374 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia (ET) is controversial and remains mainly an exclusion diagnosis. Endogenous megakaryocyte colony (EMC) formation have been largely evaluated to identify specific criteria for ET, but results are impeded by the lack of medium standardization. We evaluated megakaryocyte (MK) colony formation in a serum-free collagen-based medium, without cytokine and in the presence of various concentrations of thrombopoietin (TPO). Thirty-six bone marrows from patients diagnosed with ET (n = 11), polycythemia vera (PV; n = 12), reactive thrombocytosis (RT; n = 6) and healthy donors (n = 7) were assessed. We demonstrate that 11 out 11 of the ET patients had spontaneous megakaryocyte colony-forming unit (CFU-MK) formation, in contrast to none of the RT patients and healthy donors. MK progenitors from ET patients remained responsive to TPO, because exogenous addition of TPO significantly increased cloning efficiency. Moreover, at low doses of TPO (0.5 ng/ml and 5 ng/ml), the number of positive cultures and mean number of TPO stimulated CFU-MK were significantly higher in cultures of cells from patients with ET than in patients with RT. In summary, we have described a standardized serum-free, collagen-based assay that allows differential diagnosis of ET and RT, according to endogenous CFU-MK formation and sensitivity to TPO.
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PMID:Endogenous megakaryocytic colony formation and thrombopoietin sensitivity of megakaryocytic progenitor cells are useful to distinguish between essential thrombocythemia and reactive thrombocytosis. 1145 15

Cyclic oscillations in the peripheral blood platelet count were recently described in two patients with polycythemia vera (PV) receiving therapy with hydroxyurea (HU). This phenomenon can make proper HU dosing very challenging and may be especially problematic in PV patients who are at risk for thrombohemorrhagic complications. In this report, we describe four new cases of HU-associated platelet oscillations in patients with PV and extend our observations on one of the two previously reported cases. We also review cyclic thrombocytosis within the broader context of periodic hematopoiesis. A thrombopoietin-mediated negative feedback loop is central to most models of periodic thrombopoiesis, but this is probably an oversimplification. It is possible that HU destabilizes the delicate balance of thrombopoietin/c-Mpl signaling in megakaryocytic lineage hematopoiesis that is already markedly altered in PV; this hypothesis remains speculative. For patients who develop oscillatory variation in their platelet counts associated with HU use, keeping the HU dose constant may result in damping or termination of the cycles. However, this strategy is not always successful.
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PMID:Hydroxyurea-associated platelet count oscillations in polycythemia vera: a report of four new cases and a review. 1191 5

A periodic fall of platelet number characterizes an acquired pathological condition named cyclic thrombocytopenia. We describe an unusual case of polycythemia vera in which the episodes of thrombocytopenia were followed regularly by thrombocytosis. The period of platelet count fluctuation was about 50 days, with the counts ranging from 34 to 820 x 10(9)/l. Bone marrow megakaryocytes were decreased in number during platelet nadir. Circulating thrombopoietin levels fluctuated out of phase with the platelet count. We suggest that at least some cases of polycythemia vera may have an unstable hematopoietic stem cell pool in nature, which could contribute to the development of unprovoked cyclic thrombocytopenia.
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PMID:Cyclic thrombocytopenia and polycythemia vera. 1257 69

Decreased expression of c-MPL protein in platelets, increased expression of polycythemia rubra vera 1 (PRV-1) and nuclear factor I-B (NFIB) mRNA in granulocytes, and loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 9p (9pLOH) were described as molecular markers for myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs). To assess whether these markers are clustered in subgroups of MPDs or represent independent phenotypic variations, we simultaneously determined their status in a cohort of MPD patients. Growth of erythropoietin-independent colonies (EECs) was measured for comparison. We observed concordance between EECs and PRV-1 in MPD patients across all diagnostic subclasses, but our results indicate that EECs remain the most reliable auxiliary test for polycythemia vera (PV). In contrast, c-MPL, NFIB, and 9pLOH constitute independent variations. Interestingly, decreased c-MPL and elevated PRV-1 also were observed in patients with hereditary thrombocythemia (HT) who carry a mutation in the thrombopoietin (TPO) gene. Thus, altered c-MPL and PRV-1 expression also can arise through a molecular mechanism different from sporadic MPD.
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PMID:Comparison of molecular markers in a cohort of patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders. 1499 17

The Philadelphia chromosome-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD), polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF), have overlapping clinical features but exhibit different natural histories and different therapeutic requirements. Phenotypic mimicry amongst these disorders and between them and nonclonal hematopoietic disorders, lack of clonal diagnostic markers, lack of understanding of their molecular basis and paucity of controlled, prospective therapeutic trials have made the diagnosis and management of PV, ET and IMF difficult. In Section I, Dr. Jerry Spivak introduces current clinical controversies involving the CMPD, in particular the diagnostic challenges. Two new molecular assays may prove useful in the diagnosis and classification of CMPD. In 2000, the overexpression in PV granulocytes of the mRNA for the neutrophil antigen NBI/CD177, a member of the uPAR/Ly6/CD59 family of plasma membrane proteins, was documented. Overexpression of PRV-1 mRNA appeared to be specific for PV since it was not observed in secondary erythrocytosis. At this time, it appears that overexpression of granulocyte PRV-1 in the presence of an elevated red cell mass supports a diagnosis of PV; absence of PRV-1 expression, however, should not be grounds for excluding PV as a diagnostic possibility. Impaired expression of Mpl, the receptor for thrombopoietin, in platelets and megakaryocytes has been first described in PV, but it has also been observed in some patients with ET and IMF. The biologic basis appears to be either alternative splicing of Mpl mRNA or a single nucleotide polymorphism, both of which involve Mpl exon 2 and both of which lead to impaired posttranslational glycosylation and a dominant negative effect on normal Mpl expression. To date, no Mpl DNA structural abnormality or mutation has been identified in PV, ET or IMF. In Section II, Dr. Tiziano Barbui reviews the best clinical evidence for treatment strategy design in PV and ET. Current recommendations for cytoreductive therapy in PV are still largely similar to those at the end of the PVSG era. Phlebotomy to reduce the red cell mass and keep it at a safe level (hematocrit < 45%) remains the cornerstone of treatment. Venesection is an effective and safe therapy and previous concerns about potential side effects, including severe iron deficiency and an increased tendency to thrombosis or myelofibrosis, were erroneous. Many patients require no other therapy for many years. For others, however, poor compliance to phlebotomy or progressive myeloproliferation, as indicated by increasing splenomegaly or very high leukocyte or platelet counts, may call for the introduction of cytoreductive drugs. In ET, the therapeutic trade-off between reducing thrombotic events and increasing the risk of leukemia with the use of cytoreductive drugs should be approached by patient risk stratification. Thrombotic deaths seem very rare in low-risk ET subjects and there are no data indicating that fatalities can be prevented by starting cytoreductive drugs early. Therefore, withholding chemotherapy might be justifiable in young, asymptomatic ET patients with a platelet count below 1500000/mm(3) and with no additional risk factors for thrombosis. If cardiovascular risk factors together with ET are identified (smoking, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) it is wise to consider platelet-lowering agents on an individual basis. In Section III, Dr. Gianni Tognoni discusses the role of aspirin therapy in PV based on the recently completed European Collaboration on Low-dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera (ECLAP) Study, a multi-country, multicenter project aimed at describing the natural history of PV as well as the efficacy of low-dose aspirin. Aspirin treatment lowered the risk of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke (relative risk 0.41 [95% CI 0.15-1.15], P =.0912). Total and cardiovascular mortality were also reduced by 46% and 59%, respectively. Major bleedings were slightly increased nonsignificnsignificantly by aspirin (relative risk 1.62, 95% CI 0.27-9.71). In Section IV, Dr. Giovanni Barosi reviews our current understanding of the pathophysiology of IMF and, in particular, the contributions of anomalous megakaryocyte proliferation, neoangiogenesis and abnormal CD34(+) stem cell trafficking to disease pathogenesis. The role of newer therapies, such as low-conditioning stem cell transplantation and thalidomide, is discussed in the context of a general treatment strategy for IMF. The results of a Phase II trial of low-dose thalidomide as a single agent in 63 patients with myelofibrosis with meloid metaplasia (MMM) using a dose-escalation design and an overall low dose of the drug (The European Collaboration on MMM) will be presented. Considering only patients who completed 4 weeks of treatment, 31% had a response: this was mostly due to a beneficial effect of thalidomide on patients with transfusion dependent anemia, 39% of whom abolished transfusions, patients with moderate to severe thrombocytopenia, 28% of whom increased their platelet count by more than 50 x 10(9)/L, and patients with the largest splenomegalies, 42% of whom reduced spleen size of more than 2 cm.
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PMID:Chronic myeloproliferative disorders. 1463 83

In this study, we examined the effect of thrombopoietin (TPO) on the aggregation of platelets from 40 patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs), including 17 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP), 10 with polycythemia vera, 10 with essential thrombocythemia, and three with myelofibrosis. TPO by itself dose-dependently induced the aggregation of platelets from patients with CML-CP but not from those with other MPDs or with CML-CP in cytogenetical complete remission. The expression of CD63 in CML-CP platelets was induced by TPO treatment. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) was constitutively activated in CML-CP platelets. Pretreatment with PI3-kinase inhibitors (wortmannin and LY294002) dose-dependently inhibited TPO-induced aggregation of CML-CP platelets. The Abl kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate and the Jak inhibitor AG490 suppressed TPO-induced aggregation of CML-CP platelets. Pretreatment with imatinib mesylate, but not with AG490, inhibited the activity of PI3-kinase in CML-CP platelets. In addition, tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2 was undetected in CML-CP platelets before TPO treatment. These findings indicate that the constitutive activation of PI3-kinase primes CML-CP platelets for the aggregation induced by TPO, and that Bcr-Abl, but not Jak family protein tyrosine kinases, are involved in the constitutive activation of PI3-kinase in CML-CP platelets.
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PMID:Constitutively activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase primes platelets from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia for thrombopoietin-induced aggregation. 1508 52

We summarize the current knowledge on molecular alterations in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), in particular altered in vitro responses of progenitor cells, cytokine signaling, gene expression patterns and genetic lesions. Newly characterized markers, such as altered expression of polycythemia rubra vera-1 (PRV-1) and the thrombopoietin receptor (c-MPL) as well as deletions on chromosome 20q (del20q) and loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 9p (9pLOH) provide an opportunity to diagnose and identify subpopulations of MPD patients. Furthermore, we review familial syndromes that share phenotypic features with sporadic MPD. In some of these families, mutations in the genes for thrombopoietin (TPO), c-MPL, EPO-receptor and the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene have been shown to cause the disease. However, in the majority of familial cases the molecular causes remain unknown. Some of these families display clonal hematopoiesis and other features previously only found in sporadic MPD. Elucidating the molecular defect(s) in these pedigrees will likely be relevant for understanding sporadic MPD pathogenesis.
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PMID:Molecular pathogenesis of Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative disorders. 1557 13

This review summarizes current data on the pathomechanisms and clinical aspects of primary and secondary thrombocytosis in childhood. Primary thrombocytosis is extremely rare in childhood, mostly diagnosed at the beginning of the second decade of life. As in adults, the criteria of the Polycythemia Vera Group are appropriate to diagnose primary thrombocytosis. The pathomechansims of non-familial forms are complex and include spontaneous formation of megakaryopoietic progenitors and increased sensitivity to thrombopoietin (Tpo). Familial forms can be caused by mutations in Tpo or Tpo receptor (c-mpl) genes. These mutations result in overexpression of Tpo, sustained intracellular signalling or disturbed regulation of circulating Tpo. Treatment of primary thrombocytosis is not recommended if platelet counts are <1500/nl and bleeding or thrombosis did not occur in patient's history. In severe cases, decision on treatment should weigh potential risks of treatment options (hydroxyurea, anagrelide) against expected benefits for preventing thrombosis or haemorrhage. Secondary thrombocytosis is frequent in children, in particular in the first decade of life. Hepatic Tpo production is stimulated in acute response reaction to a variety of disorders. Thrombosis prophylaxis is not required, even at platelet counts >1000/nl, except for cases with additional prothrombotic risk factors.
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PMID:Primary and secondary thrombocytosis in childhood. 1581 44

By definition, myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) are caused by an acquired somatic mutation of a hematopoietic progenitor/stem cell and have sporadic occurrence. However, well-documented families exist with first-degree relatives acquiring one or several MPDs. It is reasonable to assume that the germ-line mutation(s) or genetic background must facilitate or predispose for one or several somatic mutation(s) that lead to the MPD that is indistinguishable from the sporadic form. This is best documented in familial polycythemia vera (PV), which appears to be inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder with incomplete penetrance. However, there are also families wherein members develop any combination of MPDs, including PV, essential thrombocythemia (ET), chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML), and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF). A separate group of familial diseases is the familial thrombocythemias, wherein germ-line mutations in the genes for thrombopoietin or its receptor, MPL, cause polyclonal hereditary thrombocythemia, which may be clinically indistinguishable from ET. Patients with the congenital polycythemic condition "primary familial and congenital polycythemia" (PFCP) have characteristically decreased erythropoietin (Epo) levels similar to PV, hypersensitive erythroid progenitors, and low Epo levels; as such, this condition is often confused with PV. Therefore, PFCP will also be discussed here, while other congenital polycythemic states such as the Chuvash polycythemia that have elevated or inappropriately normal Epo levels will be omitted from this review in view of their distinct phenotype and unique laboratory features.
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PMID:Lessons from familial myeloproliferative disorders. 1621 40

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are phosphorylated and activated by Janus kinases (JAKs). Recently, several groups identified a recurrent somatic point mutation constitutively activating the hematopoietic growth factor receptor-associated JAK2 tyrosine kinase in diverse chronic myeloid disorders - most commonly classic myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), especially polycythemia vera. We hypothesized that the JAK2 V617F mutation might also be present in samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially erythroleukemia (AML-M6) or megakaryoblastic leukemia (AML-M7), where it might mimic erythropoietin or thrombopoietin signaling. First, we documented STAT3 activation by immunoblotting in AML-M6 and other AML subtypes. Immunoperoxidase staining confirmed phosphorylated STAT3 in malignant myeloblasts (21% of cases, including all AML-M3 samples tested). We then analyzed genomic DNA from 162 AML, 30 B-cell lymphoma, and 10 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) samples for JAK2 mutations, and assayed a subset for SOCS1 and FLT3 mutations. Janus kinase2 V617F was present in 13/162 AML samples (8%): 10/13 transformed MPD, and three apparent de novo AML (one of 12 AML-M6, one of 24 AML-M7, and one AML-M2 - all mixed clonality). FLT3 mutations were present in 5/32 (16%), while SOCS1 mutations were totally absent. Lymphoproliferative disorder samples were both JAK2 and SOCS1 wild type. Thus, while JAK2 V617F is uncommon in de novo AML and probably does not occur in lymphoid malignancy, unexplained STAT3 activation is common in AML. Janus kinase2 extrinsic regulators and other proteins in the JAK-STAT pathway should be interrogated to explain frequent STAT activation in AML.
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PMID:JAK2 V617F is a rare finding in de novo acute myeloid leukemia, but STAT3 activation is common and remains unexplained. 1659 6


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