9;22;15 complex translocation in Ph1 chromosome positive CML revealed by Giemsa-11 procedure in apparent lymphoid cells of blastic crisis

Two new chromosomal abnormalities in chronic myelogenous leukemia 46,XY,t(9;15;22)(q34;q22;q11) and 46,XY,t(6;9;12;22)(p21;q34;q24;q11)

Two new variant cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are presented. The first case is a 19-year-old male with a 46,XY,t(9;15;22)(q34;q22;q11) karyotype. The second case is a 75-year-old man with a 46,XY,t(6;9;12;22)(p21;q34;q24;q11) karyotype. In both cases, the prognosis was no different from those cases of CML with the standard t(9;22) as the only abnormality. We recommend that all unusual translocations be reported.

Genomic diversity of Philadelphia-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia

The incidence of breakpoints in CML patients with variant translocations was investigated. There was no relationship between the length of various chromosomes with breakpoint frequency. However, a significantly higher (p less than 0.05) incidence of breaks were seen on the long arms as compared to the short arms due mainly to the involvement of 9q and 22q in these translocations. Chromosome 17 showed a significantly (p less than 0.005) higher involvement in these translocations, however only when 9q34-qter was not cytogenetically involved. A total of 683 breaks were found in 225 cases. 362 of these were located at c-abl and c-sis, while 110 were at other oncogenetic sites. The prognostic and hematologic features of patients with variant translocations are not significantly different from those of CML cases with the typical 9q;22q translocation. Some of these complex translocation, where the breakpoints are correlated with oncogenetic sites, are further discussed in molecular terms.

Inversion of chromosome 3 in a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia with abnormal thrombopoiesis

A patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) associated with a remarkable increase of micromegakaryocytes in bone marrow was revealed to have an abnormality of a long arm of chromosome #3, i.e., inv(3)(q21q26), in addition to a complex Ph translocation: t(9;22;15)(q34;q11;q22). Although several cases of acute leukemia with inv(3)(q21q26) and abnormal megakaryocytes have been reported, this is the first case in which the association of inv(3)(q21q26) with a megakaryocytic abnormality was observed in a patient with CML. Our findings suggest that this structural rearrangement may be more specifically associated with abnormal thrombopoiesis than are other structural anomalies of 3q.

Major karyotype aberrations, including t(3;12), in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome

Cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow cells was performed twice on a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome, specifically, refractory anemia with excess blasts. The patient had a progressive course, with transformation toward acute leukemia and death within 3 months. Chromosome analysis showed major karyotype abnormalities, including dir dup (1p), t(3;12), and a unique breakage of a #15 resulting in t(15;18) and dic(15;21). Involvement of #3 and #12 in a translocation has been recently reported, and a comparison with these cases is made with a discussion of the significance.

Giemsa-11 technique. Applications in the chromosomal characterization of hematologic specimens

Use of the Giemsa-11 procedure for the localization of heterochromatic regions of human chromosomes and for differentiation of primate and rodent chromosomes has been somewhat limited since its discovery in 1972. An adaptation of this technique to the cytogenetic characterization of hematologic specimens has aided in the interpretation of translocations, deletions, and inversions involving human chromosome 9. The chromosomal analyses of 10% of over 100 patients, principally leukemic, were aided through the use of this auxiliary procedure. The diseases of these patients are given and portions of karyotypes are presented to show clarification of abnormalities made possible through the use of the Giemsa-11 technique.