Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and autoimmune conditions appear to have a two-way connection. Living with one may increase your risk of developing the other.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of cancers that affect blood-forming cells in your bone marrow. MDS prevents bone marrow from making enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, or all three. Instead, it produces dysplastic (atypical) blood cells that don’t work properly or die earlier than they should.
MDS is typically associated with older adults, but people living with certain autoimmune conditions may also have an increased risk for developing this group of cancers.
According to a review from 2024, people diagnosed with autoimmune disorders have a higher risk of MDS compared to the broader population. But the relationship appears to go the opposite way, too. In the research, up to 30% of those with MDS also lived with an autoimmune disorder.
Experts believe that shared triggers and disease processes, overlapping genetic predispositions, and treatment-related suppression of the immune system may account for the higher rates of co-occurrence with these conditions.
MDS is associated with a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that range from connective tissue disorders to organ-specific conditions.
Hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are three autoimmune disorders often reported alongside MDS.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones to support the body’s functions. While there are several causes of an underactive thyroid, autoimmune disease is the most common.
One study from 2024 found participants living with Hashimoto thyroiditis (also known as chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) had around a 52% increased genetic risk of MDS.
An earlier study from 2022 found that, among autoimmune disorders, the risk for MDS was highest for people living with hypothyroidism compared to those living with IBD or SLE.
What about MDS in hypothyroidism from other causes?
Some people living with hypothyroidism from causes other than autoimmune disease may still have an increased likelihood of developing MDS.
Older research from 2016 suggests the use of radioactive iodine to treat conditions like thyroid cancer may slightly increase your risk of myeloid cancers, such as MDS, within the first 2 years of treatment.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
IBD is an umbrella term for two chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both types of IBD are related to inflammation in the gut brought on by immune system dysfunction.
The 2024 review mentioned earlier notes MDS is more frequently linked to Crohn’s disease in IBD rather than ulcerative colitis. Overall, IBD is one of the autoimmune conditions frequently associated with MDS.
Research has also explored how this overlap affects people in real-world settings.
According to findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2021, people with IBD and MDS tend to have longer hospital stays and may need more blood transfusions compared to those with only MDS or only IBD. Older patients with additional health issues may have a higher risk of death when living with both MDS and IBD.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
SLE, often just called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect almost any part of the body. It’s characterized by skin rashes, sensitivity to sunlight, joint pain, fever, and fatigue.
According to a retrospective cohort study from 2023, SLE is a significant risk factor for MDS and has a higher rate of MDS compared to other rheumatological diseases. These are conditions that involve swelling and inflammation that affect the musculoskeletal system.
One reason experts believe MDS and autoimmune disorders occur together is the overlapping pathophysiology. This means many disease processes in MDS are shared by autoimmune disorders and vice versa. Similar disease processes can mean similar symptoms.
MDS develops from atypical bone marrow cells. These unhealthy cells can trigger overactivity in the immune system, which leads to chronic inflammation and immune attacks in healthy tissues.
Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a separate autoimmune disorder, this inflammation and immune dysfunction in MDS can lead to autoimmune symptoms like:
- blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis)
- skin rash
- joint pain and swelling
- fever without an infection
More research is necessary to understand the outlook for co-occurring autoimmune disorders and MDS.
Each condition contributes to a person’s outlook in unique ways. The outlook for someone living with Hashimoto thyroiditis and MDS may be very different than that of someone living with lupus and MDS.
Survival statistics for MDS alone are determined using a scoring system that considers multiple risk factors. According to the
Living with MDS and an autoimmune disorder doesn’t necessarily mean your outcome will be worse than living with one condition only. In the 2021 findings on MDS and IBD, for example, researchers found a slightly lower death rate among people living with both IBD and MDS, compared to those with only one condition.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and autoimmune disorders often occur together, and living with one may increase your risk of developing the other. Shared genetic predispositions, triggers, and overlapping disease processes likely contribute to higher rates of co-occurrence.
Even if you don’t live with MDS and a separate autoimmune disorder, autoimmune symptoms are possible. MDS can lead to immune system overactivation, which may cause symptoms like skin rash, fever without infection, and fatigue.