C-mannosyl tryptophan could be a novel biomarker to predict the progression of myelofibrosis (MF) in thrombocytosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Present studies evaluating C-mannosylation using this novel assay for progression to overt MF in [essential thrombocythemia] may provide promising future directions,” the researchers wrote.
To assess C-mannosyl tryptophan in human hematological diseases, the team, led by Shinobu Tamura, PhD, from the Wakayama Medical University in Japan, quantified the levels of the amino acid in the serum of 94 healthy people using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.
They found that the platelet count was positively correlated with the levels of C-mannosyl tryptophan in the serum.
They then assessed the clinical significance of C-mannosyl tryptophan in thrombocytosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, including essential thrombocythemia, by measuring the levels of the amino acid in the serum of 34 patients with thrombocytosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms and compared this to the levels in the serum of 52 patients with other hematological disorders.
They found that serum levels of C-mannosyl tryptophan were significantly higher in patients with thrombocytosis. Moreover, the amino acid’s serum levels were inversely correlated with anemia, which was related to MF.
Finally, the researchers analyzed the bone marrow biopsy samples of 18 patients with essential thrombocythemia and measured the levels of C-mannosyl tryptophan in their serum at the same time. They found that 12 patients with bone marrow fibrosis had significantly higher levels of C-mannosyl tryptophan compared to the 6 patients without bone marrow fibrosis.