myelodysplastic syndromes display both hematological and biological heterogeneity with variable leukemia potential . to determine whether micrornas expression offers diagnostic discrimination or influences malignant potential in mds , bone marrow mirna expression was investigated from prognostically distinct mds subsets using a microarray platform . after background subtraction and normalization , data were analyzed indicating thirteen mirna signature with statistically significant differential expression , including down - regulation of members of a leukemia associated mirna family . a unique signature consisting of 10 mirnas was closely associated with international prognostic scoring system risk category permitting discrimination between lower and higher risk disease . selective overexpression of mirna - 181 family members was detected in higher risk mds , indicating pathogenetic overlap with acute myeloid leukemia . analysis of mirna expression profile offers diagnostic utility , and provides pathogenetic and prognostic discimination in mds .