Increased serum levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in patients with essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera

Neutrophil gelatinaase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a glycoprotein bound with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in human neutrophils, and elevated tissue NGAL expression has been documented in different infectious and inflammatory conditions. Recent evidence suggests that NGAL expression is induced in many types of human cancer. Moreover, NGAL is required for BCR-ABL-induced tumorigenesis. The aim of the present study was to measure serum levels of NGAL in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV). We also evaluated NGAL levels in patients with ET and PV with and without thrombotic events, to explore a possible correlation of NGAL with platelet and leukocyte activation, and in patients with sepsis. Serum NGAL levels in the study population were significantly higher than in healthy adults and in subjects with sepsis. A correlation between NGAL and the number of white cells and neutrophils was found in patients with PV and ET. NGAL serum levels were not different depending on the presence or not of the JAK2 mutation, and a mutant allele dosage effect was not observed for NGAL levels. Patients with PV and ET with thrombosis did not have significantly higher levels of NGAL. We were unable to demonstrate a significant association between serum NGAL levels and CD11b or CD62 expression. In conclusion, our study reports evidence demonstrating that increased levels of NGAL appear to be a characteristic of patients with PV and ET.