title: JAK2V617F Allele Burden Measurement in Peripheral Blood of Iranian Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and Effect of Hydroxyurea on JAK2V617F Allele Burden.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal malignant diseases that represent a group of conditions including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The aim of this study was to evaluate possible correlations between JAK2V617F allele burden and clinicohematologic characteristics in Iranian patients with MPNs. We also aimed at determining the correlation between JAK2V617F allele burden and use of cyto reductive treatment (hydroxyurea).
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed ARMS-PCR for all MPNs samples and subsequently performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for JAK2V617F allele burden measurement using DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two distinct groups of patients were examined at a single time point: group A (n=40; 20 PV, 20 ET) was examined at the time of diagnosis; group B (n=85; 40 PV, 30 ET and 15 PMF) while under treatment with hydroxyurea (HU). The median allele burden of the JAK2 V617F was 72% for PV and 49% for ET patients at the time of diagnosis (p=0.01). For patients with HU treatment, we determined the median JAK2V617F allele burden to be 43%, 40%, and 46.5 % in PV, ET and PMF patients; respectively. HU-treated PV patients had a significant lower %JAK2V617F than PV patients at the time of diagnosis (43% vs. 72%, p=0.005). In ET group, the relationship between the JAK2 V617F allele burden and leukocyte count was significant (p=0.02 and p=0.01 in untreated and treated patients, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that patients with PV have a higher JAK2V617F allele burden. Moreover, our study demonstrated that the JAK2V617F allele burden correlates with clinical features in ET group. We also showed hydroxyurea can affect the JAK2V617F allele burden in PV patients.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferdowsi
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amirizadeh
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Azita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azarkeivan
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atarodi
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faranoush
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and BMT Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toogeh
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics, Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirkoohi
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaezi
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maghsoodlu
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alimoghaddam
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghavamzadeh
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hosein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teimori Naghadeh
keywords: Hydroxyurea; JAK2V617F; Myeloproliferative neoplasms