Oligoclonal B‐cell leukemia characterized by spontaneous cell division and telomere association

Abstract
Cytogenetic analysis of unstimulated cultures from a female patient with chronic B‐cell leukemia (CLL) revealed three cytogenetically distinct clones, suggesting that the patient's leukemia was oligoclonal. Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement studies revealed 1 germline and 4 rearranged bands, indicative of an oligoclonal leukemc population. Further evidence of oligoclonality was provided by X‐linked RFLP studies. This is the first report of oligoclonality in CLL demonstrated by cytogenetic, immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, and X‐chromosome inactivation studies. In addition to oligoclonality, the patient's leukemk cells exhibited telomere association, a Robertsonian translocation, and clonal evolution, suggesting an underlying genomic instability.