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Thrombopoietin measurement in thrombocytosis: dysregulation and lack of feedback inhibition in essential thrombocythaemia
Author(s) -
Pitcher L.,
Taylor K.,
Nichol J.,
Selsi D.,
Rodwell R.,
Marty J.,
Taylor D.,
Wright S.,
Moore D.,
Kelly C.,
Rentoul A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1997.4633267.x
Subject(s) - thrombocytosis , thrombopoietin , platelet , medicine , thrombopoiesis , endocrinology , myeloproliferative disorders , interleukin 11 , gastroenterology , cytokine , megakaryocyte , interleukin , haematopoiesis , biology , stem cell , genetics
Essential thrombocythaemia (ET), a myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) manifested by excessive platelet production, lacks a specific diagnostic test to facilitate differentiation from other thrombocytoses. We studied thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in 41 patients with thrombocytosis: 25 ET patients, eight with other MPD, and eight with reactive thrombocytosis. Mean age and platelet counts for these groups were comparable. TPO levels for 96 healthy individuals provided a reference range for normal. The majority of ET patients (19/25 or 76%) had normal TPO levels. No patient with ET had a TPO level below 75 pg/ml, compared with 57% of healthy donors and 8/16 (50%) patients with other thrombocytoses ( P < 0.05). TPO levels in ET are not appropriately down‐regulated, as occurs with cytokines relevant to other MPD. In thrombocytosis, a TPO level <75 pg/ml indicates that ET is unlikely.