Elevated fetal haemoglobin is a predictor of better outcome in MDS/AML patients receiving 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Decitabine).

Although azanucleoside DNA-hypomethylating agents (HMAs) are routinely used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia (MDS/AML), very few outcome predictors have been established. Expression of the β-like globin gene locus is tightly regulated by DNA methylation, is HMA-sensitive in vitro, and fetal haemoglobin (HbF) expression is under study as a potential biomarker for response of MDS patients to azacitidine. We determined HbF expression in 16 MDS and 36 AML patients receiving decitabine (DAC).