The JAK2 V617F and calreticulin mutations (CALR) are frequent within myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). JAK2 V617F has been detected in the general population, but no studies have previously investigated the CALR prevalence. Thus, we aimed to determine the CALR and JAK2 V617F population prevalence and assess the biochemical profile and lifestyle factors in mutation-positive individuals with and without MPN. 19 958 eligible participants, enrolled from 2010-2013, from the Danish General Suburban Population Study were screened for JAK2 V617F and CALR by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction with (3.2%) mutation positives of which 16 (2.5%) had MPN at baseline. Of 645 participants, 613 were JAK2 V617F positive, and 32 were CALR positive, corresponding to a population prevalence of 3.1% (confidence interval [CI], 2.8-3.3) and 0.16% (CI, 0.11-0.23), respectively. Increasing age, smoking, and alcohol were risk factors for the mutations. JAK2 V617F positives with and without MPN presented elevated odds for prevalent venous thromboembolism. The odds ratio for a diagnosis of MPN per percentage allele burden was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.09-1.18; P = 1.6 × 10−10). Mutation positives displayed higher blood cell counts than nonmutated participants, and 42% of mutation positives without MPN presented elevation of ≥1 blood cell counts; 80 (13%) even presented blood cell counts in accordance with current MPN diagnostic criteria. In conclusion, we present a novel population prevalence of CALR and a JAK2 V617F prevalence that is 3 to 30 times higher compared with less sensitive methods. Mutation-positive non-MPNs with elevated blood cell counts raise concerns of MPN underdiagnosis in the population.

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The online version of this article has a Supplementary Appendix. CN and HSB contributed JAK2 V617F is present in the majority of patients with myeloproliferative cancer; however, its prevalence and clinical significance in the general population is unknown. We screened for presence of the mutation in 10,507 participants from the Copenhagen City Heart Study with up to 17.6 years of follow up. Prevalence of the mutation was 0.2% (n=18). All 18 mutation positives died during follow up corresponding to a multifactorially adjusted hazard ratio for early death of 3.0 (95%CI:1.9-4.9). Corresponding hazard ratios for men versus women and 1-year age increases were 1.4 (1.1-1.9) and 1.1 (1.1-1.1). Multifactorially adjusted hazard ratios for any cancer, hematologic cancer and myeloproliferative cancer were 3.7 (1.7-8.0), 58 (13-261) and 161 (12-2,197), respectively. Corresponding hazard ratios were 1.2 (0.8-2.0), 2.3 (0.2-25), 1.3 (0.3-5.4) for men versus women, and 1.0 (1.0-1.1), 1.1 (0.9-1.2), 0.9 (0.8-1.1) for 1-year age increases. In the general population, JAK2 V617F is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, although only present in 18 of 10,507 (0.2%).

The Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms - essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), and myelofibrosis (MF) (MPNs) - have recently been shown to be associated with chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using whole blood transcriptional profiling, we report that several oxidative stress and anti-oxidative stress genes are significantly deregulated in MPNs. Among the twenty most up- and downregulated genes, ATOX1, DEFB122, GPX8, PRDX2, PRDX6, PTGS1, and SEPP1 were progressively upregulated from ET over PV to PMF, whereas AKR1B1, CYBA, SIRT2, TTN, and UCP2 were progressively downregulated in ET, PV and PMF (all FDR <0.05). The gene Nrf2, encoding the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2 or Nrf2) was significantly downregulated in all MPNs. Nrf2 has a key role in the regulation of the oxidative stress response and modulates both migration and retention of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in their niche. The patogenetic importance of Nrf2 depletion in the context of expansion of the hematopoietic progenitor pool in MPNs is discussed with particular focus upon the implications of concomitant downregulation of Nrf2 and CXCR4 for stem cell mobilization.