The following is a summary of “Predictive significance of high neutrophil ratio for thrombosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms: JSH-MPN-R18 subanalysis,” published in the July 2024 issue of Hematology by Nagaharu et al.

A nationwide study was conducted to identify clinical features of thrombosis in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms to inform risk-based treatment strategies.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine which complete blood count (CBC) parameters predicted thrombosis in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

They investigated patients from JSH-MPN-R18, focusing on essential thrombocythemia (ET; n = 1152) and polycythemia vera (PV; n = 456). Using Welch’s T-test, the CBC parameters were compared with those with or without  thrombotic events. Statistical analyses were conducted with R software.

The results showed that 74 patients with ET experienced thrombotic events. In multivariate analysis, patients with ET and thrombosis had a slightly but significantly higher neutrophil ratio compared to those without thrombosis (P<0.05). The absolute neutrophil count (aNeu) emerged as a valuable predictor for thrombosis in patients with low-risk according to the revised International Prognostic Score of Thrombosis for ET. Among patients with PV, those with thrombosis had notably higher hematocrit and aNeu levels than those without thrombosis. Additionally, the neutrophil ratio was slightly but significantly higher in patients with ET with thrombosis, potentially reflecting a greater JAK2 V617F allelic frequency, though was not detailed in JSH-MPN-R18.

Investigators concluded that platelet count and mean platelet volume were independent predictors of thrombosis in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, warranting further research, including genetic analysis.

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00277-024-05898-3