Influence of the assays of endogenous colony formation and serum erythropoietin on the diagnosis of polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

Formation of endogenous erythroid colonies (EECs) or endogenous megakaryocytic colonies (EMCs) is a hallmark of myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs). The diagnostic value of EEC for polycythemia vera (PV) using standardized media has been demonstrated, and has led clinicians to consider EEC as a major diagnostic criterion in the WHO classification. The interest of EEC currently needs to be considered taking into account recent data about V617F JAK2 mutation in MPD. In particular, EECs and EMCs should be helpful for the diagnostic and the vascular risk evaluation of essential thrombocythemia (ET) and for mutation negative patients. A low serum erythropoietin (EPO) level is a consistent finding in PV. Recent studies have shown that commercial serum EPO assays provided a reliable, accurate, and low-cost criterion for the diagnosis of a significant proportion of PV. It suggests that diagnostic algorithms integrating serum EPO level could be elaborated. The diagnostic value of EPO assay for thrombocytosis has not been proved, but some data suggest a predictive value of low EPO levels for thrombosis in ET.