Causative Agents in the Etiology of Myelodysplastic Syndromes and the Acute Myeloid Leukemias

Myeloid malignancies and related disorders originate in pluripotential precursor cells that normally give rise to red blood cells, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, monocytes, and platelets. Disruptions of the normal hierarchy of myeloid maturation result in hematological disorders characterized by either excesses or deficiencies of the mature effector cells (1). The disorders of myeloid origin include acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and myeloproliferative disorders such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).