In addition, the mutation rates of SF3B1, TET2, ASXL1 and Serine and Arginine Rich Splicing Factor 2 (SRSF2) in Chinese MDS patients were lower than those in Western patients, whereas the mutation rates of TP53 and RUNX1 were relatively high, which may be related to the ethnic background (31, 33). Here, RUNX1 is linked to myelodysplastic syndrome.