We analyzed cytosolic high-Km 5 '-nucleotidase (cN-II) and deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) mRNA expression in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) of patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR). At diagnosis, the cN-II mRNA expression of patients was higher than that of healthy volunteers, but the dCK mRNA expression showed no significant difference. Patients with ara-C-containing chemotherapies whose BMMNC showed a high level of cN-II expression (greater than the median value) had shorter median overall survival (15 months versus 22 months, p < 0.01) and shorter median post-chemotherapy survival (10 months versus 16 months,p = 0.012). These data suggest that the expression level of cN-II mRNA might be a prognostic factor of high-risk MDS. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.