What is the full form of MDS

MDS: Myelodysplastic Syndrome

MDS stands for Myelodysplastic Syndrome. MDS is a bone marrow failure disorder in which the bone marrow cannot produce healthy and mature blood cells. These immature blood cells stay inside the bone marrow and do not form blood. MDS can be seen in people of all age groups but primarily in people above 60.

To understand MDS, it is essential to know about the blood and the process of its formation.

What is blood?

Blood is a fluid which consists of three types of cells RBC, WBC and Platelets, where all three float in a liquid called Plasma. These blood cells are formed inside the bone marrow. All three cells have different functions:

• Red Blood Cells (RBC) - It is also known as erythrocytes. It consists of protein and haemoglobin that help in the transportation of oxygen to all parts of the body.
• White Blood Cells (WBC) - It is also known as leukocytes. It helps the body fight against diseases and infections. It provides immunity to the body.
• Platelets - It is also known as megakaryocytes. It helps in the formation of blood clotting and stops blood loss.

How is blood formed?

Blood cells are formed by hematopoietic stem cells inside the bone marrow, which is the spongy material in the bone. The process of formation of blood cells is known as hematopoiesis. In this process, all three types of blood cells are formed from the bone marrow stem cells; once fully mature, they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. Thus, blood is formed.

What happens in MDS to the blood cells?

In MDS, the hematopoietic stem cells are damaged, producing faulty blood cells that don't mature; these immature blood cells are known as blasts. The immature blood cells either die inside the bone marrow or enter the blood, but even after entering the blood, they cannot function as mature blood cells do. As a result, the body cannot get the supply of the required amount of blood as its blood-forming cells are damaged, and the bone marrow gets filled with blasts.

Severity of MDS

The severity of MDS is based on the number of blasts in the bone marrow. In the normal bone marrow, the percentage of blasts is less than 5%.

• If there are less than 5% blasts in the bone marrow, the risk of MDS is low.
• If the percentage of blasts in the bone marrow is between 5% to 19%, then the risk of MDS is high.
• If the percentage of blasts in the bone marrow is more than 20%, then the person has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), a type of cancer.

Causes of MDS

The proper reason for the occurrence of MDS is not known, but the potential causes which have been identified are: -

• Radiation and Chemotherapy, which are used in the treatment of cancer.
• Exposure to industrial or environmental chemicals like benzene for an extended period.

Effects of MDS

MDS is a situation when imperfect blood cells are produced, and in the body, the consequences of improper blood cells are seen, which the most common is anaemia when RBC is not made in the right amount.

The effects on the body when RBCs are not appropriately formed are dizziness, irritability and pale skin.

The risk of infections increases when the WBC count is affected, and excessive bruising and easy bleeding is seen due to a decrease in the number of platelets.

Diagnosis of MDS

There are several diagnosis methods through which the problem of MDS is examined like: -

• Blood Test
• Peripheral Blood Smears
• Bone Marrow Aspirations and Biopsy
• Molecular Testing
• Cytogenetic Analysis
• Immunophenotyping
• Flow Cytometry
• Immunocytochemistry
• Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Treatment of MDS

Based on severity and treatment methods, MDS treatment can be done by a haematologist or a medical oncologist.

Different types of treatment available for MDS disorder are: -

• Supportive therapy for Myelodysplastic Syndrome
• Growth Factors and Similar Medicine for MDS
• Chemotherapy for MDS
• Stem Cell Transplant for MDS
• Bone Marrow Transplant
• Platelet Transfusion
• RBC Transfusion

Interesting facts about MDS

• On average, about 33-35 new people are diagnosed with MDS daily in the United States.
• About 75% of MDS patients are aged 60 and above.
• One out of every three or 30% of MDS-affected cases progresses to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
• Up to 6 years is the average survival time for low-risk MDS patients, and it is just five months for high-risk patients whose blast rate is above 20%.