Ruxolitinib Clinical and Microbiological Implications and Possible Association with B Cell Lymphoma

ABSTRACT Introduction Ruxolitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK)1/JAK2 inhibitor for the treatment with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post–polycythemia MF (PPVMF), and post–essential thrombocythemia MF (PETMF) for diseaserelated splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients. Ruxolitinib is effective treatment choice for myelofibrosis. But ruxolitinib has some adverse event, hematologic and nonhematologic. In this study, we wanted to present the results of our patients using ruxolitinib. Materials and Methods Total 40 patients data were retrospectively analyzed. Categorical and continuous data were expressed as ratio (%) and median (range). Overall survival (OS) is taken as end-points of this study. Results The total number of patients was 40. 4 patient received ruxolitinib for cGVHD after allogeneic stem cell tranplantation. The total number of patients who analyzed was 28. The median age of patients was 54 years (35-78). Median ruxolitinib treatment duration was 383 days (37-1596 days). After ruxolitinib, median platelet, hemoglobin, neutrophil nadir durations were 46 days (0-546), 40 days (14-218days) and 112 days (16-546days), respectively. The median nadir hemoglobin and platelet level were 8.3 g/dl (5 g/dl -15 g/dl) and 147.5103/µl (29103/µl -589103/µl), respectively. The median follow up was 1291 days (40 -8053 days). The 5-year OS rate was 60.6% and 90% in hemoglobine and platelet recovery time <100days and ≥100 days (p=0.9). 7 patients were died, one of them had oppurtunistic fungal infection. Conclusion In conclusion, although ruxolitinib has been shown to improve survival in myelofibrosis in the long term, survival may be short due to side effects.