Comparative Analysis of Proinflammatory Cytokine Levels in Peripheral Blood and Bone Marrow of Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Background

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are characterized by marker somatic mutations involving JAK2, MPL, and CALR, which lead to constitutive activation of tyrosine kinase signaling cascades, subsequently dysregulated proliferative of myeloid linages, and eventually myelofibrosis or leukemic transformation. Recently, it has been argued that proinflammatory processes are crucial to the pathogenesis and progression of MPNs. A number of proinflammatory cytokines including lipocalin, IL-1, IL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, and IP-10 have been found elevated in the peripheral blood (PB) of MPN patients. However, there has been limited data on the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the bone marrow (BM) of MPN patients. The present study determined and compared 40 proinflammatory cytokine levels in the PB and BM plasma of MPN patients with unequivocal molecular background, thus intending to illustrate the proinflammatory features of BM microenvironment as well as to evaluate the credibility of PB cytokine profiles.

Methods

Newly diagnosed MPN patients (n=12, 8 had JAK2 V617F mutation, 4 had CALR mutations) were included in the present study. PB samples were taken within 48 hours of BM samples. Paired PB and BM plasma cytokine profiles were measured as well as 10 health control PB plasma samples in a single procedure by Quantibody Human Inflammatory Array 3 (RayBiotech, Norcross, GA) which permitted detection of 40 inflammation-associated cytokines.

Results

Among 12 MPN patients, 8 had JAK2 V617 mutation (6 males, median age 61.5 years), and 4 had CALR mutations (3 males, median age 53.5 years). Positive linear correlations between PB and BM levels were found in 12 proinflammatory cytokines including BLC (r=0.613, p=0.034), I-309 (r=0.872, p<0.001), IL-1α (r=0.666, p=0.018), IL-1β (r=0.929, p<0.001), IL-12p40 (r=0.642, p=0.024), IL-15 (r=0.608, p=0.036), M-CSF (r=0.906, p<0.001), MIG (r=0.596, p=0.041), MIP-1α (r=0.787, p=0.002), MIP-1δ (r=0.648, p=0.023), sTNFRI (r=0.827, p=0.001), and sTNFRII (r=0.644, p=0.024). Compared to health controls, BM levels of G-CSF, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6R, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, MIP-1β, PDGF-BB, RANTES, and TIMP-1 were markedly elevated (all p<0.01), among which IL-2, IL-4, and IL-7 levels were even higher in patients with CALR mutations than those with classic JAK2 V617F mutation (all p<0.05).

Conclusions

Optimal linear correlation could only be found in limited species of proinflammatory cytokines, especially I-309, IL-1β, M-CSF, and sTNFRI, between PB and BM plasma of MPN patients. Therefore, caution should be recommended during attempts to illustrate the status of inflammation in MPN patients by circulating cytokine markers. A stronger inflammatory component might exist in MPN patients with CALR mutations than those with classic JAK2 V617F mutation.