PPBP and myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts: For hematological diseases, a decrease in plasma CXCL7 levels can be used as a diagnostic marker for advanced disease of myelodysplastic syndrome refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) and RAEB in transformation (RAEB-t) (FAB classification) or RAEB-1 and RAEB-2 (WHO classification) (Aivado et al., 2007).