Updates into the potential association between myeloproliferative neoplasms and inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and myeloproliferativeneoplasms (MPNs) are both chronic disorders in whosepathogenesis low-grade chronic inflammation plays acentral contribution.1-3 IBD is characterised by chronicinflammation of the digestive tract, while MPNs arecharacterized by an overproduction of terminallydifferentiated myeloid cells.1,3 IBD may present itself mainlyas ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) while theclassical Philadelphia-negative MPNs comprisepolycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET)and primary/secondary myelofibrosis (MF).1,3 A recentcohort study found that subjects with MPNs have a 2.4-foldincreased risk of developing IBD compared to individualswithout MPNs. The risk of developing IBD was highestwithin the first year after the diagnosis of MPN and afterfive years of being diagnosed with an MPN. However, therewas a lower risk of developing IBD between the first yearand fifth year of being diagnosed with an MPN.4 Thesefindings suggest that there may be a common underlyingmechanism that drives the pathogenesis of both IBD andMPNs. Moreover, alterations of the gut microbiome havebeen described both in MPNs and IBD, possibly in directrelationship with the high concentrations of proinflammatorycytokines measured in these disorders.1,5 Continued...