Ruxolitinib Reduces Oxidative Stress in Patients With Primary Myelofibrosis: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Primary myelofibrosis (PM) has a poorer prognosis than other myeloproliferative neoplasms, with leukemic transformation being a primary cause of mortality.
• Elevated oxidative stress is implicated in the leukemic transformation of PM patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether Ruxolitinib, a common treatment for PM, can mitigate oxidative stress in these patients.
• To assess the impact of Ruxolitinib on specific oxidative stress biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 106 PM patients and 111 healthy controls were analyzed.
• Biomarkers including Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA), native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were measured at diagnosis and one month post-Ruxolitinib initiation.
• Oxidative stress ratios (disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, native thiol/total thiol) were calculated.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in oxidative stress markers were observed between PM patients and controls at diagnosis (p=0.001).
• Ruxolitinib treatment led to a significant reduction in oxidative stress markers within one month (p=0.001).
• Patients with ASXL1 mutation and intermediate-2/high-risk scores showed a more substantial decrease in oxidative stress.

Conclusions:

• Ruxolitinib demonstrates potential as an effective therapy for reducing oxidative stress in primary myelofibrosis.
• The drug's efficacy in reducing oxidative stress is particularly notable in high-risk PM patients, including those with ASXL1 mutations.