Abstract: Objective  To observe the disease type and the changes of symptom load during treatment of patients with Ph chromosome/BCR-ABL fusion gene negative myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Methods  A total of 84 patients with MPN diagnosed from May 2017 to January 2019 in People′s Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen were selected, and were divided into polycythemia vera (PV) group, essential thrombocyhemia (ET) group, and myelofibrosis (PMF) group according to their subtypes, with 28 cases in each group. The scores of MPN-SAF-TSS were compared among the three groups. Besides, the scores of the scale (myeloproliferative neoplasm symptom assessment form total symptom score, MPN-SAF-TSS) in different treatment periods (at the time of the visit, when the disease progressed, when the disease was stable, when the clinical improvement was made, when the partial remission was completed, at the time of remission and recurrence) were also compared. Results  At the time of initial diagnosis, there were significant differences in the incidences of symptom burdens among the three groups of MPN patients with abdominal fullness (χ²=6.095, P=0.047), abdominal discomfort (χ²=7.342, P=0.025), poor mobility (χ²=13.029,P=0.001), inattention (χ²=6.099, P=0.047), pruritus (χ²=6.956,P=0.031), bone pain (χ²=7.807, P=0.020), fever (χ²=8.000, P=0.018) and weight loss (χ²=27.340, P＜0.001). The incidences of poor mobility (85.71%, 24/28), inattention (67.86%, 19/28) and weight loss (82.14%, 23/28) in PMF group were significantly higher than those in PV group ［42.86% (12/28), 39.29% (11/28), 35.71% (10/28)］  and ET group ［46.43% (13/28), 39.29% (11/28), 14.29% (4/28)］ (all P＜0.05). The incidences of abdominal discomfort (75.00%, 21/28) and bone pain (60.71%, 17/28) in PMF group were higher than those in PV group ［39.29% (11/28), 25.00% (7/28)］ (both P＜0.05). The incidences of   abdominal fullness (89.29%, 25/28)  and fever (42.86%, 12/28)  in PMF group were higher than those in ET group ［60.71% (17/28), 10.71% (3/28)］ (both P＜0.05). The incidence of pruritus in PV group (71.43%, 20/28) was higher than that in ET group (42.86%, 12/28) and PMF group (39.29%, 11/28) (both P＜0.05). Symptom load scores of patients with fatigue (χ²=368.594, P<0.001), abdominal fullness (χ²=261.312, P<0.001), abdominal discomfort (χ²=195.629, P<0.001), poor mobility (χ²=217.862, P<0.001), lack of concentration (χ²=280.664, P<0.001), night sweats (χ²=239.650, P<0.001), pruritus (χ²=254.418, P<0.001), bone pain (χ²=180.291, P<0.001), fever (χ²=231.613, P<0.001) and weight loss (χ²=227.831, P<0.001) were significantly different during different therapeutic periods. The fatigue symptom load score was higher when the disease progressed than that at the time of the visit (P<0.05), and the symptom score of abdominal fullness was lower than that at the time of visit (P<0.05). Symptom load scores of weakness and pruritus when the condition was stable was lower than those when the disease progressed (both P<0.05). When the clinical improvement was made, symptom load scores of weakness, abdominal discomfort, inattention, night sweats, weight loss were lower than those when the disease was stable (all P<0.05). Symptom load scores of abdominal fullness, poor mobility, inattention, night sweats and pruritus in partial remission period decreased compared to temporary improvement period (all P<0.05). Compared to the partial remission period, the symptom load scores of weakness, abdominal fullness, night sweats, pruritus, bone pain and weight loss in complete remission period were lower (all P<0.05). At last, symptom load scores of weakness, abdominal fullness, abdominal discomfort, poor mobility, inattention, night sweats, pruritus, bone pain, fever and weight loss in recurrence period were higher than those in complete remission period (all P<0.05). Conclusion  There are several differences in the main clinical symptoms among patients with different MPN subtypes, and there are significant changes in the main clinical symptoms as the disease progresses or turns around.

Key words: Bone marrow neoplasms, Myeloproliferative disorders, Polycythemia vera; Thrombocythemia, essential, Primary myelofibrosis, Myeloproliferative neoplasm symptom assessment form total symptom score