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Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is characterized by dysregulation of the cell cycle and aberrant apoptosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as epigenetic regulators of gene expression. Could the pathogenesis or progression of MDS be influenced by alterations in miRNAs?
To examine this possibility, investigators measured plasma levels of let-7a and miR-16 — two miRNAs shown to be downregulated in leukemia — in 50 patients with MDS (half of whom had refractory cytopenias with multilineage dysplasia) and 76 healthy controls. Levels of both miRNAs were significantly lower in MDS patients than controls. Distributions of these miRNAs levels were bimodal in patients and gaussian in controls.
Patients with low versus high levels of either miRNA experience…