THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE AND KARYOTYPIC ABNORMALITIES IN MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROMES

We performed a retrospective analysis of 143 consecutive patients with myelodysplastic syndrome to study the possible relationship between p atient age and cytogenetic findings in this disorder. There were 96 me n and 47 women, with a mean age of 63 years. Eighty-six patients were 63 years old and above, and 57 patients were younger than 63 years of age. The distributions of the five FAB subtypes were comparable in bot h groups of patients, except for a higher percentage of refractory ane mia with ringed sideroblasts in older patients. The incidences of cyto genetic abnormalities were similar in the two groups. However, the you nger patients tended to have a higher frequency of involvement of chro mosomes 5 or 7 than the elderly patients (p < 0.05). The implications of our findings in relation to the biology of myelodysplastic syndrome are discussed.