Persistence of nucleolar RNA-rich structures and Ph1 duplication in the blastic crisis of chronic myeloid leukaemia
Castoldi, G.; Borsetti, G.; Abbasciano, V.; Scapoli, G.
La Ricerca in Clinica e in Laboratorio 9(3): 265-271
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0390-5748 PMID: 94687 Document Number: 146505
Nucleolar persistence in metaphase plates is a feature observed in most of the cells in neoplastic processes. Pathological persistence or fragmentation of the nucleoli is thought to be the cause of some numerical chromosomal aberrations due to non-disjunction of the chromatids, with particular involvement of the satellite chromosomes. A combined selective staining of the nucleoli (amido black 10B according to Mundkur and Brauer's cytochemical technique) and the chromosomes (neutral red) was applied to the metaphase plates of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the blastic crisis. Duplicated Ph1 [Philadelphia chromosome] was associated with amido black-stained areas at a very high rate in some cases. Since the blastic crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia is characterized by the appearance of an increased number of immature, highly nucleolated cells, these findings lend support to the hypothesis that the duplication of the Ph1 represents a feature possibly favored by the pathological persistence of nucleolar RNA-rich structures in metaphase.