The purpose of this study was to explore cytokine expression patterns and cytogenetic
abnormalities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the bone marrow microenvironment
of Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Bone marrow samples were
obtained from 30 cases of MDS (MDS group) and 30 healthy donors (control group). The
expression pattern of cytokines was detected by customized protein array. The
karyotypes of MSCs were analyzed using fluorescence in situ
hybridization. Compared with the control group, leukemia inhibitory factor, stem cell
factor (SCF), stromal cell-derived factor (SDF-1), bone morphogenetic protein 4,
hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) stimulating factor, and transforming growth factor-β in
the MDS group were significantly downregulated (P<0.05), while interferon-γ
(IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and programmed death ligand (B7-H1) were
significantly upregulated (P<0.05). For chromosome abnormality analysis, the
detection rate of abnormal karyotypes (+8, -8, -20, 20q-, -Y, -7, 5q-) was 30% in the
MDS group and 0% in the control group. In conclusion, the up- and downregulated
expression of these cytokines might play a key role in the pathogenesis of MDS. Among
them, SCF and SDF-1 may play roles in the apoptosis of HSCs in MDS; and IFN-γ, TNF-α,
and B7-H1 may be associated with apoptosis of bone marrow cells in MDS. In addition,
the abnormal karyotypes might be actively involved in the pathogenesis of MDS.
Further studies are required to determine the role of abnormal karyotypes in the
occurrence and development of MDS.