Pathways analysis of the set of protein-coding transcripts altered in CD34+ cells of MDS-RARS patients revealed an important gene network related to hematological disease, including BLNK, CD19, CD72, CD81, EBF1, F5, FLT3, LY96, MPDZ and THBS1. Down-regulation in MDS-RARS of genes related to the B cell receptor signaling pathway were found in our results (BLNK, CD19 and CD72), and the low expression of several genes involved in B lymphocyte development, corroborate the hypothesis that early MDS can be defined by a B-cell progenitor defect [49]. Here, F5 is linked to myelodysplastic syndrome.