Cytoreductive treatment and association with platelet function and maturity in patients with essential thrombocythaemia.
Oliver Buchhave Pedersen, Erik Lerkevang Grove, Leonardo Pasalic, Hans Beier Ommen, Steen Dalby Kristensen, Anne-Mette Hvas
Author Information
Oliver Buchhave Pedersen: Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. ORCID
Erik Lerkevang Grove: Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Leonardo Pasalic: Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research and the Departments of Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Hans Beier Ommen: Department of Haematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Steen Dalby Kristensen: Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Anne-Mette Hvas: Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) have an increased risk of thromboembolic events, which may differ according to different cytoreductive drugs. We investigated the effect of cytoreductive treatment on platelet function and turnover in ET patients. Blood samples were obtained at 1 and 24 h after aspirin intake. Platelet function was evaluated by platelet aggregation and flow cytometry. Platelet turnover was assessed by immature platelet count, immature platelet fraction (IPF) and mean platelet volume (MPV). A total of 47 ET patients were included and grouped into 21 patients not receiving cytoreductive treatment, 15 patients receiving hydroxycarbamide and 11 patients receiving pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN). Patients receiving peg-IFN had significantly higher IPF and MPV than the other ET groups. Patients not receiving cytoreductive treatment had significantly higher platelet aggregation 24 h after aspirin intake than the other ET groups (p-values from 0.03 to 0.0002). Patients receiving hydroxycarbamide had significantly higher expression of platelet granule makers, P-selectin and CD63, than patients receiving peg-IFN (p-values ≤0.003). Cytoreduction provides more consistent platelet inhibition compared with no cytoreductive treatment. Moreover, peg-IFN provides superior inhibition of platelet activation markers than hydroxycarbamide, which in part may explain differences in risk of thromboembolic events in ET patients.
