Apoptosis is a Common Histopathological Finding in Myelodysplasia: the Correlate of Ineffective Haematopoiesis

Twenty-three bone marrow biopsies from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with typical histological features were studied, and evidence of apoptosis of erythroid and immature myeloid precursors was seen by light microscopy in each case. This was quantified and found to be significantly greater than that seen in ten normal bone marrow biopsies (p < 0.01). There was no difference in the degree of apoptosis seen in the various sub-groups of MDS proposed by the French-American-British (FAB) co-operative group. These results show apoptosis of haemopoietic precursors to be a characteristic histological finding in MDS, representing intramedullary death of these cells, a factor that may play a role in the pathogenesis of the cytopenias seen in this condition.