Abnormal Macrophage Polarization in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Background. This study is aimed at assessing the subsets of bone marrow macrophages in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and exploring the role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of MDS. Methods. Thirty-eight newly diagnosed MDS patients were enrolled in the Department of Hematology of General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from June 2015 to June 2016. Bone marrow monocytes and macrophage subsets (M1/M2) were detected in patients with MDS and normal controls by flow cytometry. M1 macrophages were cultured in vitro, and the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results. Compared with the normal control group, the proportion of bone marrow monocytes was higher (2.11±0.93% vs. 3.66±3.38%), and the mean fluorescence intensity of surface molecule CD14 was lower in the higher-risk (HR) MDS group (639.05±359.78 vs. 458.26±306.72, p