Background: Telomerase disfunction leads to short telometric overhangs, potentially resulting in chromosome instability.
Aims: To better understand the role of overhang length in the progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Methods: Bone marrow samples of 62 Chinese MDS patients were screened for TERT and TERC gene variants. Overhangs length was investigated.
Results: No mutation was identified. MDS patients had shorter overhangs compared to controls. Abnormal karyotype ones had shorter overhang compared to normal. Telomeric overhang length decreased as IPSS/WPSS value increased.
Conclusions: Overhang changes in accordance with IPSS/WPSS in MDS. Short overhang may be an independent factor for poor prognosis in MDS.
Keywords: Myelodysplatic syndrome; Prognosis; Telomerase gene mutation; Telomere overhang.
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