Overexpression of PRV-1 gene in polycythemia rubra vera and essential thrombocythemia

Maurizio Martini1, Luciana Teofili, Luigi M Larocca

  • 1Instituto di Anatomia Patologica and Ematologia, Università Cattalica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.

The polycythemia rubra vera 1 gene (PRV-1), a member of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor superfamily, is overexpressed in granulocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). PRV-1 overexpression is the first reliable molecular marker of these myeloproliferative disorders, and its detection allows us to discriminate PV and ET from secondary erythrocytosis and thrombocytosis. PRV-1 overexpression can be investigated by several techniques, including Northern analysis, reverse-transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and real-time PCR. Among these, RT-PCR is the most rapid, reliable, and feasible method for the detection of PRV-1 overexpression in highly purified peripheral blood granulocytes.

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