In our examination of a previously published expression data set, we found that MSI2 expression was increased in CD34+ population in high-risk MDS patients (refractroy anemia with excess blasts; RAEB) compared with healthy individuals that were not age matched or Low-Risk MDS (Refractory Anemia; RA or refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts; RARS), Fig. 1a)12. Here, CD34 is linked to anemia (phenotype).