Abstract
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a complex and heterogeneous group of malignancies of the multipotent hematopoietic stem cells [1–3]. Clinically and morphologically, MDS are characterized by dysplastic and ineffective hematopoiesis, resulting in peripheral blood cytopenias and an increased risk for transformation to AML. Despite an increased fraction of proliferating cells, MDS bone marrow progenitors display impaired differentiation potential, accelerated apoptosis (or programmed cell death), and, as a consequence, bone marrow failure (Figure 1.1). The net clinical result is ineffective hematopoiesis with intractable peripheral cytopenias: anemia, thrombocytopenia, and/or neutropenia.
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© 2008 Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media
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List, A. (2008). Introduction to myelodysplastic syndromes. In: Clinician’s Manual on Myelodysplastic Syndromes . Springer Healthcare, Tarporley. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-907673-36-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-907673-36-8_1
Publisher Name: Springer Healthcare, Tarporley
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