Objective: Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocytosis are chronic and progressive myeloproliferative neoplasms characterized by a clonal increase in hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Myelofibrosis in the bone marrow has been shown to be secondary to an inflammatory process.

Methodology: To investigate the association between the secondary myelofibrosis and acute phase reactants in patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocytosis. Fourty-six PV and 28 ET patients without myelofibrosis above Grade 1 were included in the present study. Bone marrow evaluations were performed retrospectively. C-reactive protein, ferritin, and albumin levels were measured.

Results: C-reactive protein (0.55ng/L vs. 4.2ng/L, p<0.001) and ferritin (18.5ng/mL vs. 118ng/mL, p=0.001) levels in patients with secondary myelofibrosis were found to be increased compared to baseline levels. Mean albumin levels in patients with secondary myelofibrosis, and CRP, ferritin, and albumin levels in patients without secondary myelofibrosis were similar at the diagnosis and at last visit. There were also similar the baseline levels of CRP, ferritin, and albumin between the patients with and without secondary myelofibrosis.

Conclusion: The increase in CRP and ferritin, which are indicators of chronic inflammation, may be used to show the inflammation and relevant secondary fibrosis in the bone marrow. Due to the similar CRP, ferritin, and albumin levels at the diagnosis, the prediction for the development of the secondary myelofibrosis is not possible in the present study.