title: [Megakaryopoietic cytokine levels in patients with essential thrombocythemia and their relationship with clinical and biochemical features].
abstract: Megakaryopoiesis and platelet production are driven by transcription factors and cytokines present in bone marrow environment. Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder characterized by high platelet count and megakaryocytic hyperplasia. In the present work we evaluated plasmatic levels of cytokines involved in megakaryocytic development in a group of patients with ET that were not on treatment, as well as thrombopoietin (TPO) levels before and during anagrelide treatment. The assays were carried out using ELISA techniques. Among the cytokines mainly involved in proliferation of megakaryocytic progenitors, interleukin 3 (IL-3) levels were found increased in patients compared to normal controls (p = 0.0383). Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and stem cell factor levels were normal. Interleukin 6, as well as interleukin 11 and erythropoietin (EPO), cytokines mainly related to megakaryocytic maturation, were normal. Plasma TPO levels before treatment were within the normal range and increased during treatment but the difference was not statistically significant. Patients who displayed spontaneous platelet aggregation had higher plasma TPO levels compared to those who did not (p = 0.049). We did not find any relationship between cytokine levels and clinical or laboratory parameters. The high IL-3 levels seen in some patients with ET could contribute to megakaryocytic proliferation. The simultaneous occurrence of higher TPO levels and elevated platelet count could be a predisposing factor for the development of spontaneous platelet aggregation in ET patients.
authors.affiliation: Sección Hematología Investigación, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. rfmarta@ciudad.com.ar
authors.forename: Rosana F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Marta
authors.forename: Nora P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Goette
authors.forename: Felisa C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Molinas
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000097:blood; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D034061:Thrombopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D013926:Thrombopoietin; C021139:anagrelide