Polycythemia vera – new way of monitoring disease activity?
A European study has just been released suggesting a new way to monitor polycythemia vera patients’ disease activity.
Titled ‘Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio as surrogate for JAK2V617F suppression and event-free survival in polycythemia vera’ it explores the value of using neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a means of monitoring PV disease activity.
The study used data from three of the largest PV clinical trials, and evaluated the impact of PV therapies on the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio – and then its relationship with molecular response (reduction in allele burden) and clinical outcomes.
The full article is free to access HERE.
Conclusion
‘This study highlights the distinct effects of Hydroxyurea and Ropeg on leukocyte-derived biomarkers in PV. While both reduce leukocytosis and neutrophilia -key thrombosis drivers- Ropeg also normalizes NLR, lowers JAK2V617F VAF, and better preserves lymphopoiesis, suggesting potential to reduce thrombosis and modify disease progression. These findings support NLR as a predictive biomarker, reinforcing the importance of inflammation-targeted strategies in PV management.’
MPN Education Symposium in Perth and online
‘What does optimal management of MPNs look like in 2025?’
MPN AA, in partnership with the University of Western Australia School of Biomedical Sciences and Royal Perth Hospital, is proudly presenting an MPN Education Symposium.
The symposium will be all day on Saturday 25 October, WA time.
It is free to attend in person or online.
Who should attend?
MPN patients, family members, carers, friends, clinicians, researchers and people interested in learning more about MPNs are welcome to attend.
There will be opportunities to ask questions and meet and chat with other participants throughout the day.
FAQs are available on the Symposium registration page.
And for more details, including the Event program, see this page or use the QR code above.
Atrial fibrillation and MPN patients with Jak2 mutation
A recently published research article may be of interest to MPN patients with the Jak2 mutation. It is titled ‘Incidence, Outcomes and Risk Factors for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With JAK2V617F-Positive Myeloproliferative Neoplasms‘. The article was published in Cancer Medicine in July 2025.
The researchers retrospectively analysed clinical profiles of 439 Chinese MPN patients with the Jak2 mutation from several hospitals in China between 2017 and March 2025. The researchers’ intention was to consider specific risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the MPN patient population which they felt “have not been fully elucidated”.
The researchers concluded that:
- “atrial fibrillation was significantly associated with higher risks of stroke and mortality in patients with JAK2V617F-positive MPN.
- TET2 mutation and increased IL-1ß were independent risk factors of AF in patients with JAK2V617F-positive MPN.”
- They also noted that “interferon-alfa and ruxolitinib were associated with improved AF-free survival in patients in the high-risk group.”
The paper is freely available to read in full HERE.
The MPN Alliance Australia works in partnership with the Leukaemia Foundation
