title: Correlation of karyotype and immunophenotype in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: To correlate leukemic cell karyotype with immunophenotype, we studied 364 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A prognostically favorable cytogenetic feature, hyperdiploidy greater than 50 chromosomes, was found in 33% of cases classified as common ALL antigen positive (CALLA+) early pre-B (common) ALL, in contrast to 18% of pre-B cases (P = .012), 5% of T cell cases (P less than .001), and none of the B cell cases (P less than .001) or cases of CALLA negative (CALLA-) early pre-B ALL (P = .002). The frequency of translocations, an adverse cytogenetic feature, was significantly lower in CALLA+ early pre-B ALL cases (35%) than in B cell (100%; P less than .0001), pre-B (59%; P less than .001), or CALLA- early pre-B (62%; P = .016) cases. Thus, patterns of chromosomal change differ widely among the major immunophenotypic groups of ALL and may account for reported differences in responsiveness to treatment.
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D004171:Diploidy; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015260:Neprilysin; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015260:Neprilysin