Pulmonary hypertension in patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms: a single-center retrospective analysis of 225 patients

• Published in: Blood research Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 77 - 84
• Main Authors: Lee, Myeong-Won, Ryu, Hyewon, Choi, Yoon-Seok, Song, Ik-Chan, Lee, Hyo-Jin, Yun, Hwan-Jung, Sun, Byung Joo, Jeong, Jin-Ok, Jo, Deog-Yeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Hematology; Korean Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation; Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis 30.06.2020; 대한혈액학회
• Subjects: Original; 병리학; Polycythemia vera; Essential thrombocytopenia; Primary myelofibrosis; Myeloproliferative neoplasm; Pulmonary hypertension
• ISSN: 2287-979X; 2288-0011
• DOI: 10.5045/br.2020.2020001

The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) varies among studies. We analyzed the prevalence of PH in Korean patients with Philadelphia-negative (Ph-) MPNs. Medical records of patients with Ph- MPNs [essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), or primary myelofibrosis (PMF)] visiting a single hospital between 1993 and 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination (TTE) results were reviewed and PH was diagnosed according to established guidelines. Of the 320 MPN (179 ET, 107 PV, and 34 PMF) patients, 225 (121 ET, 83 PV, and 21 PMF) underwent TTE. Of these 225 MPN patients, 19 of 121 (15.7%) ET, 9 of 83 (10.8%) PV, and 6 of 21 (28.6%) PMF patients had PH. PV patients with PH were older [71 (42‒85) vs. 61.5 (26‒91) yr, respectively; =0.049], predominantly female (male:female ratio, 0.29 vs. 1.96, respectively; =0.010), had lower hemoglobin levels (15.9±2.6 g/dL vs. 18.4±2.6 g/dL, respectively; =0.010), and higher platelet counts (616.6±284.2×10 /L vs. 437.7±191.7×10 /L, respectively; =0.020) than PV patients without PH. PMF patients with PH had higher monocyte counts (1.3±0.5×10 /L vs. 0.8±0.4×10 /L, respectively; =0.031) than those without PH. PH was a risk factor for poor survival in PV (HR, 12.4; 95% CI, 1.8‒86.6). PH is common in patients with Ph- MPNs and hence, careful screening for PH is warranted.