IL6 and myelodysplastic syndrome: In addition to reports that plasma TGF-β1 levels were elevated in MDS patients [12, 41, 42], TGF-β1 has been implicated in the induction of other myelosuppressive cytokines such as IL-6, TNF, and IFN-γ, which may be involved in MDS pathogenesis and disease progression [43].