Summary
Patients with polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and primary
myelofibrosis (PMF) are at increased risk of arterial and venous thrombosis. In patients
with ET a positive correlation was observed between JAK-2 V617F mutation, that facilitates
erythropoietin receptor signalling, and thrombotic events, although the mechanism
involved is not clear. We previously demonstrated that heparanase protein forms a
complex and enhances the activity of the blood coagulation initiator tissue factor
(TF) which leads to increased factor Xa production and subsequent activation of the
coagulation system. The present study was aimed to evaluate heparanase procoagulant
activity in myeloproliferative neoplasms. Forty bone marrow biopsies of patients with
ET, PV, PMF and chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) were immunostained to heparanase,
TF and TF pathway inhibitor (TFPI). Erythropoietin receptor positive cell lines U87
human glioma and MCF-7 human breast carcinoma were studied. Heparanase and TFPI staining
were more prominent in ET, PV and PMF compared to CML. The strongest staining was
in JAK-2 positive ET biopsies. Heparanase level and procoagulant activity were higher
in U87 cells transfected to over express JAK-2 V617F mutation compared to control
and the effect was reversed using JAK-2 inhibitors (Ruxolitinib, VZ3) and hydroxyurea,
although the latter drug did not inhibit JAK-2 phosphorylation. Erythropoietin increased
while JAK-2 inhibitors decreased the heparanase level and procoagulant activity in
U87 and MCF-7 parental cells. In conclusion, JAK-2 is involved in heparanase up-regulation
via the erythropoietin receptor. The present findings may potentially point to a new
mechanism of thrombosis in JAK-2 positive ET patients.
Keywords
Heparanase - myeloproliferativ - JAK-2 - coagulation