Myelodysplastic syndromes patients with autoimmune disorders may be more responsive to treatment with Vidaza or Dacogen than patients without autoimmune disorders, according to results from a recent retrospective analysis.

However, the investigators point out that further studies are needed to confirm their findings and to better understand how the two drugs work in patients with autoimmune disorders.

The findings were presented during a poster session at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASCO) in Chicago earlier this month.

Previous research has suggested that the development of …

Swedish researchers recently found that having a history of certain infections and autoimmune diseases may increase the risk of developing myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.

The researchers speculated that stimulation of the body’s immune (defense) system may trigger the development of these diseases.

They pointed out that further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of their findings.

It is common for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to have severe infections at the time of diagnosis. However, according to the Swedish researchers, …