In the majority of classic MPN--polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primitive myelofibrosis--driver oncogenic mutations affecting Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) or MPL lead to constitutive activation of cytokine-regulated intracellular signaling pathways.
The recently discovered single somatic activating point mutation in the JAK2 gene (JAK2-V617F) is found in the great majority of patients with PV, but also in many patients with phenotypically classified ET and other MPDs.
A single point mutation (Val617Phe) was identified in JAK2 in 71 (97%) of 73 patients with polycythaemia vera, 29 (57%) of 51 with essential thrombocythaemia, and eight (50%) of 16 with idiopathic myelofibrosis.