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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Use of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation to Assess the Origin of Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Published on: October 3, 2018
Experimental and clinical characteristics in myelodysplastic syndrome patients with or without HLA-DR15 allele
Li Xiao1, Liao Qiong, Zhang Yan
1Department of Hematology, Sixth Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China. lixiao3326@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract:
We studied the effects of the presence of the HLA-DR15 allele on the experimental and clinical features of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) by assessing the clinical data of 136 patients with MDS. We observed that the frequency of HLA-DR15 expression in MDS patients (38.7%) was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (p < 0.01). We noted the following observations with regard to disease progression: None of the 46 HLA-DR15 positive patients with international prognostic scoring system (IPSS) scores
Insights
The HLA-DR15 allele is linked to a higher risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). While associated with less disease progression, HLA-DR15 presence indicates greater bone marrow failure in MDS patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Hematology
Background:
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders.
- The role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles in MDS pathogenesis and progression remains an area of active investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the HLA-DR15 allele and the clinical and experimental features of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
- To determine if HLA-DR15 influences disease progression and bone marrow failure in MDS patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 136 MDS patients.
- Comparison of HLA-DR15 expression frequency between MDS patients and healthy controls.
- Assessment of disease progression markers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development, chromosomal abnormalities, IPSS scores, and bone marrow blast percentages.
- Evaluation of bone marrow failure indicators such as bicytopenia/pancytopenia, peripheral blood counts, hypocellularity, and immune cell populations (CD4+, CD4/CD8 ratio).
Main Results:
- HLA-DR15 was expressed in 38.7% of MDS patients, significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.01).
- HLA-DR15 positive patients with lower IPSS scores (
- Poor chromosomal abnormalities, higher IPSS scores (>=1.5), and increased bone marrow blasts were less frequent in HLA-DR15 positive patients.
- Increased bicytopenia/pancytopenia (92.4% vs 78.3%, p=0.029) and hypocellularity were observed in DR15-positive patients.
- Lower peripheral neutrophil and platelet counts were noted in DR15-positive patients (p=0.028, p=0.011).
- Higher bone marrow CD4+ lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios were found in DR15-positive patients (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The presence of the HLA-DR15 allele suggests genetic susceptibility to MDS.
- HLA-DR15 is associated with a less aggressive disease progression but a greater propensity for bone marrow failure in MDS.
