HEMATOLOGIC AND CYTOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF 8-21 TRANSLOCATION ACUTE GRANULOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

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  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (4) , 695-706
Abstract
Cytogenetic studies were performed in 546 patients with acute leukemia between 1968-1975. Of these patients, 234 were aneuploid (42.9%) and 312 were diploid (57.1%). Patients (32) were found to exhibit similar chromosomal alterations that appeared to involve specifically chromosomes 8 and 21. Banding studies in at least 15 of these patients confirmed the presence of a translocation between these 2 chromosomes. The cytogenetic findings were correlated with the hematologic and clinical data. Each of these individuals had a typical picture of acute granulocytic leukemia with Auer rod-positive and peroxidase-positive cells. Ultrastructurally, the patients in this group also consistently demonstrated the presence of a nuclear bleb that was positively associated with aneuploidy in acute leukemia. Clinically, they seemed to respond better to therapy than other adult patients with acute granulocytic leukemia. The 8/21 translocation acute leukemia may represent a definite subgroup within the general category of acute granulocytic leukemia, with an incidence of .times. 7.3%.