Keerti, Akshaya

e18608 Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) that is characterized by bone marrow fibrosis and inefficient hematopoiesis, leading to extramedullary hematopoiesis. Leukocytosis, a common disease manifestation and a minor criterion for the diagnosis of MF, has been associated with poorer clinical outcomes. This study evaluates the long term impact of leukocytosis on clinical outcomes at different time points in the real-world population of patients with MF. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using de-identified EHR data from the TriNetX Global Federated Health Research Network. Adults (≥18 years) with myelofibrosis were identified using ICD-10 and ICD-O-3 codes and stratified into leukocytosis (WBC ≥25.0 ×10³/µL; L+) and non-leukocytosis (L−) cohorts at the index diagnosis. Patients with prior or current hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were excluded. Cohorts were propensity score–matched 1:1 for demographics, comorbidities, and baseline laboratory values. Outcomes at 1, 3, and 5 years included all-cause mortality, pulmonary embolism, venous thromboembolism, and transformation to acute myeloid leukemia, with hazard ratios estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: After matching, 13237 patients with MF were identified, of whom 52.12% were male, and 47.8% were female. The mean age in L+ and L- was 66.5 +/- 16.6 years and 68.1 +/- 15.5 years, respectively. The mean hemoglobin in L+ was 10.9+/- 2.8 g/dL, and in L- was 12.9+/- 2.3 g/dL. The mean platelet count in L+ was 303.4+/- 294.9 and in L- was 239.5+/- 151.4 ×10³/µL. HR for all-cause mortality in L+ when compared to L- at years 1, 3, and 5 were statistically significant at 4.079 (95% CI 3.691-4.508), 3.215 (95% CI 2.982-3.466), and 2.787 (95% CI 2.608-2.978), respectively, with log-rank p < 0.01. The HR for PE in L+ when compared to L- was statistically significant at years 1, 3, and 5 at 2.014 (95% CI 1.455-2.787), 1.883 (95% CI 1.451-2.787) and 1.659 (95% CI 1.318-2.088) with log-rank p<0.01. HR for VTE in L+ when compared to L- was statistically significant at years 1, 3, and 5 at 2.501 (95% CI 1.937-3 .229), 1.802 (95% CI 1.491-2.178), and 1.561 (95% CI 1.32-1.847) with log-rank p<0.01. Risk of transformation to AML in L+ when compared to L- at years 1, 3, and 5 was significant with HRs being 9.806 (95% CI 6.575-14.627), 8.823 (95% CI 6.334-12.29), 9.371 (95% CI 6.813-12.891) with log-rank p<0.01. Conclusions: In this large real-world, propensity-matched cohort, leukocytosis in myelofibrosis was associated with significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality, thromboembolic events, and transformation to acute myeloid leukemia across 1-, 3-, and 5-year time points. These findings underscore leukocytosis as a powerful adverse prognostic marker in MF and highlight the need for closer surveillance and risk-adapted therapeutic strategies in this high-risk population.

e18605 Background: Patients with myelofibrosis (MF), especially those with marked leukocytosis, face increased risk for thrombotic complications such as pulmonary embolism (PE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Hydroxyurea (HU) is often used to control blood counts. However, evidence for HU reducing thrombotic events in MF is limited, and contemporary real-world data on its impact in MF populations with significant leukocytosis remain sparse. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX research network. Adult patients with MF and leukocytosis (white blood cell count ≥25×10⁹/L) were identified. Patients with prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were excluded. HU-exposed patients were compared with non-exposed patients using 1:1 propensity score matching. Matching criteria included age, sex, race, comorbidities, and baseline laboratory values when available. The study included 3,590 patients (1,795 per cohort). Primary outcomes were time to PE and VTE at 1, 3, and 5 years. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: In the propensity-matched cohort, HU exposure was not associated with a statistically significant reduction in thrombotic events. For PE, hazard ratios were numerically higher in the HU-exposed group at 1 year (1.5% vs 1.0%; HR 1.40, 95% CI 0.76–2.56; p=0.278) and 3 years (2.2% vs 1.8%; HR 1.29, 95% CI 0.80–2.08; p=0.289), with a modest increase observed at 5 years (2.8% vs 1.9%; HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.01–2.45; p=0.04). For VTE, no statistically significant differences were observed between HU-exposed and non-exposed patients at any time point (1 year: HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.63–1.44; p=0.821; 3 years: HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.69–1.36; p=0.85; 5 years: HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.84–1.57; p=0.40). Overall, PE and VTE event rates remained low and comparable between cohorts. Conclusions: In this large real-world cohort of patients with myelofibrosis and significant leukocytosis, hydroxyurea exposure was not associated with a statistically significant reduction in thrombotic events, including PE or VTE, over short- or long-term follow-up. Thrombotic event rates were low and generally comparable between hydroxyurea-exposed and non-exposed patients, with no consistent pattern suggesting a protective effect of cytoreductive therapy. Although a modest increase in PE risk was observed at 5 years, this finding was isolated and lacked a consistent temporal pattern, limiting its clinical interpretability. These findings suggest that the role of hydroxyurea in modifying thrombotic risk among MF patients with leukocytosis remains uncertain and highlight the need for individualized treatment decisions and further studies to better define its impact on thrombotic outcomes in this population.