Determination of secondary chromosomal aberrations of chronic myelocytic leukemia

[The basophil: From control of immunity to control of leukemias]

The basophils, first described by Paul Ehlrich in 1879, are rare circulating cells, representing approximately 0.01 to 0.3% of the blood leukocytes. Until recently, these cells have been neglected because of their minority status among immune cells and because they show some similarities to mast cells residing in tissues. However, basophils and mast cells are now recognized as distinct cell lines and it appears that basophils have important and non-redundant functions, distinct from those of mast cells. On the one hand, basophils have beneficial contribution to protective immunity, in particular against parasitic infections. On the other hand, basophils are involved in the development of various benign and malignant pathologies, ranging from allergy to certain leukemias. Basophils interact with other immune cells or neoplastic cells through direct contacts or soluble mediators, such as cytokines and proteases, thus contributing to the regulation of the immune system but also to allergic responses, and probably to the process of neoplastic transformation. In this review, we will develop recent knowledge on the involvement of basophils in the modulation of innate and adaptive immunity. We will then describe the benign or malignant circumstances in which an elevation of circulating basophils can be observed. Finally, we will discuss the role played by these cells in the pathophysiology of certain leukemias, particularly during chronic myeloid leukemia.

A new dic(7;12)(p12.21;p12.2) and i(12)(q10) during the lymphoid blast crisis of patient with Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a common myeloproliferative disease that is characterized by the clonal expansion of marrow stem cells, and is associated with the Philadelphia chromosome. As the disease progresses, additional chromosome abnormalities may arise. The prognostic impact of secondary chromosomal abnormalities in CML is complex, heterogeneous, and sometimes related to previous treatment. Here, we describe a CML patient in lymphoid blast crisis associated with a new chromosomal abnormality identified, dic(7;12)(p12.21;p12.2) and i(12)(q10) using classical cytogenetics and spectral karyotype analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of t(7;12)(p11.1;q11.1) and i(12)(q10) in a CML patient with lymphoid evolution.

Trisomy 8 in two newly diagnosed Chinese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most common lymphoid malignancies in Western countries, but is infrequent in Asian populations. To verify the incidence of trisomy 8 in Chinese patients with CLL, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used in 140 CLL patients after routine chromosome analysis. Only two patients (1.4%) were found with trisomy 8, and the number of trisomy 8 cells was 8 and 10%, respectively. No other aberrations by "panel" probe FISH were found in these two patients. The chromosome karyotypes of two patients were 47,XY,+8[2]/49,XY,+14,+20,+21[2]/46,XY[16] and 47,XX,+8[2]/46,XX[18], respectively. Neither of the patients' present signs of myelodysplastic or myeloproliferative disorder appeared on the bone marrow aspirates and peripheral blood smear. Our study demonstrates that trisomy 8 is rare in CLL, and its role in prognosis of CLL remains unknown.

Trisomy 8 as sole cytogenetic abnormality in a case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A 49-year-old man, who had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2002, had a normal karyotype in his bone marrow. Trisomy 8 was demonstrated in his peripheral blood in 2005. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using an LSI CEP 8 probe performed on the archival bone marrow specimen showed three hybridization signals in 40% of 200 interphase cells scored. This confirmed that the trisomy 8 abnormality was present in both the blood and bone marrow samples. Trisomy 8 as the sole chromosomal abnormality in CLL is a very rare finding. The prognostic significance of trisomy 8 in CLL remains to be seen.