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

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and myeloproliferative
neoplasms (MPNs) are both chronic disorders in whose
pathogenesis low-grade chronic inflammation plays a
central contribution^.1-3 IBD is characterised by chronic
inflammation of the digestive tract, while MPNs are
characterized by an overproduction of terminally
differentiated myeloid cells^.1,3 IBD may present itself mainly
as ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) while the
classical Philadelphia-negative MPNs comprise
polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET)
and primary/secondary myelofibrosis (MF).^1,3 A recent
cohort study found that subjects with MPNs have a 2.4-fold
increased risk of developing IBD compared to individuals
without MPNs. The risk of developing IBD was highest
within the first year after the diagnosis of MPN and after
five years of being diagnosed with an MPN. However, there
was a lower risk of developing IBD between the first year
and fifth year of being diagnosed with an MPN.⁴ These
findings suggest that there may be a common underlying
mechanism that drives the pathogenesis of both IBD and
MPNs. Moreover, alterations of the gut microbiome have
been described both in MPNs and IBD, possibly in direct
relationship with the high concentrations of proinflammatory
cytokines measured in these disorders.^1,5

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