Regulation of Erythropoietin Production in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Preleukemic syndromes or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) comprise a heterogeneous group of acquired bone marrow disorders, probably resulting from malignant transformation of a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell [1, 2]. In the elderly they are rather common diseases. Analysis of our own data referring to the population of Dusseldorf (Germany) yields an age-specific incidence rate of about 25/100 per year in people over the age of 70 [3]. Hallmarks of MDS include ineffective hematopoiesis, hypercellular bone marrow, and peripheral blood cytopenias [4]. In the majority of cases the etiology remains unkown.