Pruritus in polycythemia vera is associated with a lower risk of arterial thrombosis

✍ Scribed by Naseema Gangat; Jacob J. Strand; Terra L. Lasho; Chin-Yang Li; Animesh Pardanani; Ayalew Tefferi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 72 KB
• Volume: 83
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/ajh.21156

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Among 418 patients with polycythemia vera seen at our institution and in whom pruritus history was recorded, the presence of pruritus at diagnosis was documented in 131 (31%) and its absence in 287 (69%). Pruritus was less frequently reported by smokers (12% vs. 24%; P = 0.004) and diabetics (5% vs. 11%; P = 0.04). The presence of pruritus was associated with a lower rate of arterial thrombosis, both at diagnosis (8% vs. 17%; P = 0.01) and during follow‐up (16% vs. 30%; P = 0.003). Multivariable analysis revealed that these associations were independent of other risk factors for thrombosis. High __JAK2__V617F allele burden clustered with pruritus (P = 0.002) but did not affect thrombosis rates. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.