Del(3)(p13) in B-prolymphocytic leukemia--a new nonrandom chromosomal aberration possibly related to the c-ras oncogene

Mature B-cell leukemias with more than 55% prolymphocytes. A heterogeneous group that includes an unusual variant of mantle cell lymphoma

We studied 20 cases of mature B-cell leukemia with more than 55% prolymphocytes in peripheral blood or bone marrow, fulfilling the French-American-British criteria for B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL). Cases segregated into 3 groups: de novo PLL, 6; PLL occurring in patients with a previous well-established diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (PLL-HxCLL), 10; and t(11;14)(q13;q32)-positive neoplasms, 4. All cases expressed monotypic immunoglobulin light chain, and most were positive for CD5. All t(11;14)-positive neoplasms were CD23- and uniquely positive for cyclin D1. Cytogenetic abnormalities were present in 19; in all 19, the karyotype was complex, indicating clonal evolution and genomic instability. The most frequent cytogenetic abnormality in de novo PLL involved chromosome 7 in 4 cases. Trisomy 12 or add(12p) was present in 4 cases of PLL-HxCLL. We conclude that mature B-cell leukemias with more than 55% prolymphocytes are a heterogeneous group that includes t(11;14)-positive neoplasms, which we suggest are best classified as mantle cell lymphoma. We also suggest that prolymphocytic morphologic features are a common end-stage of transformation for several B-cell neoplasms.

Cytogenetic abnormalities in three patients with B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

We present the cytological features, conventional cytogenetics, and in situ hybridization (ISH) findings of three cases of B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL). The diagnosis was made according to the French-American-British (FAB) criteria. We considered a diagnosis of B-PLL when a predominance (> 50%) of lymphoid cells with coarse chromatin but prominent central nucleoli and more abundant cytoplasm than typical chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells were present. B-PLL express strong SIg, B-cell antigens, and reactivity with the monoclonal antibody FMC7. Chromosome analysis was carried out on lymphoid cells from peripheral blood and, in one patient, from lymph node. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) mitogen was used. ISH was performed with two types of probes: the biotin-labeled chromosome 12-specific alpha satellite DNA probe to detect trisomy 12, and biotin-labeled libraries of whole chromosomes 1, 7, and 14. Clonal chromosome abnormalities were found in all three patients; in one, a complex karyotype was observed. The most frequent recurrent abnormality was trisomy 12. Our results suggest that PLL usually presents with cytogenetic abnormalities. The finding of translocation (11;14) is noteworthy; chromosomes 1 and 3 are also involved.

Cytogenetics in CLL and related disorders

Chromosome analysis of more than 1200 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia reported to the International Working Party on Chromosomes in CLL and in the literature is analysed. Clonal chromosomal abnormalities are found in about half of the patients, and one third of those with clonal aberrations have trisomy 12, with or without additional changes. The most common structural abnormalities involve the long arm of chromosome 13, usually as deletions involving 13q14, the site of the retinoblastoma gene. Other recurrent abnormalities are deletions of the long arms of chromosome 11 and 6. 14q+ markers are frequent in patients at advanced stage, but are almost always within complex abnormalities. The number of clonal abnormalities in the CLL cells has a strong prognostic impact. Trisomy 12 as a single abnormality is an adverse prognostic sign, whereas patients with 13q abnormalities generally do comparatively well. Lymphoid leukaemia with monoclonal immunoglobulin secretion frequently involves clonal chromosomal abnormalities, and the type of change is similar to that seen in true CLL. In B cell prolymphocytic leukaemia, t(11;14) is a common finding, together with trisomy 12. T cell prolymphocytic leukaemia is characterized by an inversion of the long arm of chromosome 14, with breaks at q11 and q32, and trisomy of 8q, whereas large granular lymphocytic leukaemia has shown no consistent abnormality. Hairy cell leukaemia seems to involve a specific set of non-random chromosome abnormalities, such as inv(5)9.

Chromosome aberrations in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Pathogenetic and clinical implications

Chromosome analyses were performed on leukemic cells from 102 patients with B-CLL, of whom 84 were untreated. B-cell mitogen-induced CLL cells yielded suitable metaphases in 85 patients, and 55 showed clonal chromosomal aberrations. Trisomy 12 was found in 26 patients. In nine patients the + 12 was a single aberration. A 14q + chromosome or deletions of the long arm of chromosomes 6, 11, or 13 were other recurrent aberrations. Patients with Rai stage I or more had more frequently clonal aberrations than patients with stage 0 disease (p less than .02). Patients with clonal aberrations had poorer 5-year survival than those with a normal karyotype (p less than .05). Patients with a high percentage of abnormal metaphases in the sample had poorer prognosis than patients with high admixture of normal metaphases (p less than .01). Of the specific clonal aberrations those with 14q + or trisomy 12 tended to have slightly poorer and those with 6q- or structural aberrations involving the long arm of chromosome 13 tended to have better prognosis than patients with other chromosomal aberrations. A complex karyotype tended to be an adverse prognostic sign. Clonal evolution is rare: complex karyotypes are found at diagnosis and clones with single aberrations did not acquire additional chromosome aberrations despite progressive disease and treatment. Nine hundred and seventy-nine published cases are reviewed, and pathogenetic mechanisms, such as oncogenes and gene dosage, are discussed.

Patients with different lung cancers show normal expression of fra(3)(p14.2) in aphidicolin-treated lymphocyte cultures

Among common fragile sites, fra(3)(p14.2) is the most expressed either spontaneously or after treatment with aphidicolin (APC) in lymphocyte cultures. Because recurrent chromosomal abnormalities involving the short arm of chromosome 3 in tumor tissue are present in various malignancies, including lung cancer, the induction of fra(3)(p14.2) elicited by APC was investigated with the aim of detecting possible interindividual polymorphism in its expression that might be relevant to predisposition toward cancer-related events. Thirty-four patients affected with various lung cancers (14 squamous cell carcinomas, 13 adenocarcinomas, and seven small cell carcinomas) and 14 controls (patients undergoing routine routine follow-up after coronary by-pass) were included in this study. The frequency of fra(3)(p14.2) expression was not significantly different among the patients grouped either by disease or by sex and age. It was estimated that fra(3)(p14.2) accounts for about 20% of total breakage in APC-treated lymphocyte cultures from the general population.

Involvement of chromosomes 3 and 5 in renal cell carcinoma

Clonal chromosome abnormalities in short-term cultures were found in 18 of 51 nonfamilial renal cell carcinomas. The breakpoints on chromosome 3 in seven specimens clustered in region 3p11-3p24.2, confirming its importance in the genesis of renal cell carcinoma. An i(5p) and involvement of band 5q21 were other frequent structural chromosome changes. Two additional nonrandom karyotype changes, the gain of one chromosome 7 and the loss of one sex chromosome, were also observed.

3p involvement in a renal cell carcinoma in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Region of tumor breakpoint clustering on 3p?

The cytogenetic findings in a renal cell carcinoma from a patient with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome are reported. Of the two consistent changes, one was a dicentric chromosome evolving from an unbalanced translocation between the proximal part of the short arm of chromosome 3 and the distal segment of the long arm of the X chromosome.

Loss of common 3p14 fragile site expression in renal cell carcinoma with deletion breakpoint at 3p14

The common fragile site in human chromosome band 3p14 is a constant cytogenetic marker present on every normal chromosome #3. Therefore, we selected a renal cell carcinoma with a deletion breakpoint in 3p14 for analysis of the 3p14 fragile site. Aphidicolin was used to induce the expression of the 3p14 fragile site. The fragile sites expressed in the renal carcinoma cells generally mirrored those expressed in lymphocytes. The normal chromosome #3 in the renal carcinoma cells expressed the common 3p14 fragile site. The partially deleted #3 did not. The deletion breakpoint, therefore, cannot be beyond the 3p14 fragile site. The common fragile site in 3p14 must be at or very near the deletion breakpoint in 3p14 in renal cell carcinoma. These results are consistent with this fragile site causing this cancer chromosome deletion.

Recurrent deletions of chromosomes 11q and 3p in anal canal carcinoma

A cytogenetic study of 8 cases of anal canal cancer, including 1 cloacogenic and 7 squamous-cell carcinomas, was performed. All tumors exhibited chromosomal abnormalities. A rearrangement involving the long arm of chromosome 11 was seen in all instances, and, with the exception of the i (11q) found in one tumor, all the observed rearrangements resulted in a deletion of the distal segment. Rearrangements of chromosome 3, detected in 6 tumors, led to a deletion of the short arm in 5 cases. The association of these 2 deletions may characterize the anal canal carcinoma, the smallest common deleted segments being distal to 11q22 or q23 and 3p22.

Constitutional translocation t(3;6)(p14;p11) in a family with hematologic malignancies

We describe a family with an inherited constitutional balanced translocation t(3;6)(p14;p11) and hematologic malignancies. Of two proven translocation carriers, one had acute myeloid leukemia and the other had myelofibrosis. A third member who had died of acute leukemia was a possible translocation carrier (chromosome analysis had not been performed). Five healthy translocation carriers were detected. Neither the translocation nor additional hematologic malignancies were found outside the nuclear family. It could not be definitely clarified if this constitutional translocation predisposes to hematologic malignancies. Breakpoint 3p14 has previously been implicated in recurrent cancer-associated rearrangements but 6p11 has not. We suggest that other investigators look for involvement of these breakpoints in cancer patients.

Cytogenetic studies in hairy cell leukemia

Cytogenetic analyses were performed on cells from 17 patients with hairy cell leukemia stimulated with polyclonal B-cell activators (in 155 different cultures). No mitosis was obtained in samples from four cases (23.5%). Of 14 bone marrows, four (28.6%) showed mitoses, two with clonal abnormalities. All four samples from the spleen had mitoses with four clonal changes; eight of 13 (37.5%) blood samples had mitoses with three clonal changes. Of the polyclonal B-cell activators (PBA), lipopolysaccharide and protein A seemed to be effective for the detection of clonal abnormalities in hairy cell leukemia. Among the clonal aberrations, chromosomes #3, #10, and #17 were affected in two cases each; frequent numerical changes were monosomies of #10 and #17 and structural changes were deletions at band 3p21 (two cases), 6q-, and der(9)t(9;?)(p22;?). The chromosomal bands involved in structural changes were close to accepted constitutive fragile sites.

Abnormal/normal metaphase ratio and prognosis in chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia

Cytogenetic analysis was performed in B-cell mitogen-stimulated leukemic cell cultures from 55 patients with chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia. Clonal chromosomal aberrations were found in the cells of 33 patients, whereas 10 patients were cytogenetically normal. For 12 patients, too few metaphases were found to enable proper evaluation of the karyotype. The patients were subdivided into four groups according to the ratio between the number of metaphases with abnormal and normal chromosome patterns: AA, patients with only abnormal (A) metaphases; A/N high, patients with both abnormal and normal (NN metaphases and an A/N ratio greater than 0.5; A/N low, patients with an A/N ratio less than 0.5; NN, patients with only normal metaphases. In a log rank analysis, increasing A/N ratio was significantly associated with poor survival (p = 0.025). Four AA patients had a median survival of 6 months, whereas the 5-year probability of survival was 0.62 for the A/N high group, 0.92 for the A/N low group, and 1.0 for the NN group.