Combination therapy with interferon and JAK1-2 inhibitor is feasible: Proof of concept with rapid reduction in JAK2V617F-allele burden in polycythemia vera.
We report a 55 year old woman with post-ET PV for 12 years, who experienced resolution of severe constitutional symptoms within 3 days, a marked reduction in splenomegaly and a rapid decline in the JAK2V617F allele burden during combination therapy with interferon-alpha2a and ruxolitinib. Within 4 weeks the patient achieved complete hematological remission with normalization of peripheral blood counts and within 10 months the JAK2V617F-allele burden was reduced from 90% to 28%. Such a rapid decline in the JAK2V617F allele burden is highly unusual in PV-patients during low-dose IFN-alpha2 monotherapy and this finding warrants a prospective study with combination therapy.
Department of Hematology, Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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ME
Bjørn
Department of Pathology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense, Denmark.
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K
de Stricker
Department of Hematology, Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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L
Kjær
Department of Neurology, Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
K
K
Ellemann
Department of Hematology, Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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HC
Hasselbalch
Combination therapy; Interferon; JAK2V617F-allele burden; Polycythemia vera; Ruxolitinib