Chromosome abnormalities in human acute nonlymphocytic leukemia: relationship to age, sex, and exposure to mutagens
Rowley, J.D.
National Cancer Institute Monograph 60: 17-23
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0083-1921 PMID: 6956808 Document Number: 189603
Nonrandom chromosome changes have been observed in human acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). Two specific translocations have been detected only in ANLL arrested in a particular stage in myeloid maturation, i.e., t(8;21) associated with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) with maturation (M2) and t(15;17) associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3). Patients with these translocations are substantially younger then patients with the same type of leukemia who have either a normal karyotype or other chromosome abnormalities. Patients who have ANLL secondary to treatment for a prior malignant disease tend to have AML (M1 or M2) and an abnormal karyotype with losses of chromosome #5 and/or #7. A similar high incidence of AML and aneuploidy affecting particularly #5, 7, 8, and 21 was seen in patients with ANLL who were exposed to chemicals and pesticides. Complete unselected data are available for 239 patients with ANLL; 128 of these were classified as having AML (M1 or M2). Within the AML group, 65% of the patients were chromosomally abnormal. Except for 16 patients with a t(8;21), the percentage of those with an abnormal karyotype increased with age, particularly above the age of 50 years. In regard to abnormalities other than t(8;21), 29 patients had loss of part of all of #5 and/or #7, 11 had +8, and 27 had other abnormalities. On the other hand, of 70 patients with acute myelomonocytic leukemia (M4), 42 were normal, only 3 had loss of #5 or 7, 1 was -7, +8, and 4 were +8, whereas 20 had other abnormalities. This difference in karyotype may reflect different etiologic factors in these two types of leukemia.