title: Clinical correlations of the 3q21;q26 cytogenetic anomaly. A leukemic or myelodysplastic syndrome with preserved or increased platelet production and lack of response to cytotoxic drug therapy.
abstract: Three patients presenting with acute leukemic disorder and chromosome 3 rearrangement involving bands q21;q26 are reported, and the literature on chromosome 3q abnormalities is reviewed. All reported patients carrying a paracentric 3q inversion or a translocation 3;3 with breakpoints in q21;q26 had a myelodysplastic or acute leukemic disorder with a normal or elevated platelet count and lack of response to cytotoxic drug therapy. They showed an associated incidence of -7 or 7q- anomalies higher than de novo acute leukemia and appear to constitute a definite subgroup of the leukemic disorders with very poor prognosis. The majority of patients showing other chromosome 3 long arm rearrangements showed evidence of leukemic process, were in blastic crisis, or had been exposed to chemotherapy, exhibiting also a higher incidence of associated -5 or -7 cytogenetic abnormalities than is observed in patients not exposed to toxic agents.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D002900:Chromosomes, Human, 1-3 / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic