For patients with JAK2V617F mutation-positive ET and PV, there were no significant differences in the overall response rate between the groups treated with IFN-α or HU (P > 0.05); however, the patients treated with IFN-α had a significantly higher 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) than those treated with HU (P < 0.05). Here, IFNA1 is linked to acquired polycythemia vera.