Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

The Clinical Significance of Low Haptoglobin in MF

Leuk Res; 2017 Mar 8; Strati, Masarova, et al

High JAK2 allele burden correlated strongly with decreased haptoglobin levels in patients with myelofibrosis, according to a prospective analysis involving 152 individuals.

Investigators explored the clinical significance of low haptoglobin and found that:

  • One-third experienced haptoglobin levels <32mg/dL.
  • Decreased haptoglobin was not linked with low hemoglobin levels, positive Coombs test, or abnormal liver function tests.

The authors noted that their findings suggest that decreased haptoglobin is not due to autoimmune hemolytic anemia or liver cirrhosis.

Citation:

Strati P, Masarova L, Bose P, Daver N, Pemmaraju N, Verstovsek S. Haptoglobin is frequently low in patients with myelofibrosis: Clinical relevance. Leuk Res. 2017;(57):85-88. doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2017.03.006.