title: Detection of karyotypic aberrations in acute myeloblastic leukaemia: a prospective comparison between PCR/FISH and standard cytogenetics in 140 patients with de novo AML.
abstract: In 140 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) standard cytogenetics were compared with RT-PCR for the detection of t(8;21), t(15;17) and inv(16) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for numerical aberrations of chromosomes 7, 8, X and Y. RT-PCR detected 18 cases with t(8;21), 12 with t(15;17) and seven with inv(16). In two cases with t(8;21), two with t(15;17) and four with inv(16) these aberrations had not been detected by standard cytogenetics. There were no false negative PCR results. In 12 patients with these chromosomal changes, standard cytogenetics revealed additional chromosomal aberrations. In 16 patients sole numerical aberrations of the chromosomes 7, 8, X or Y were found by FISH. In these patients the sensitivity of FISH and standard cytogenetics was comparable. In 87 patients no aberrations could be found by PCR and FISH whereas in 24 of these patients standard cytogenetics revealed an abnormal karyotype. These data recommend the combination of standard cytogenetics and molecular techniques to improve the sensitivity for the detection of genetic lesions in AML. Once chromosomal markers have been identified by combined analysis these markers could be used to monitor residual disease during/after chemotherapy, by RT-PCR and/or FISH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology/Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krauter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pascheberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoelzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lübbert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schlimok
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Port
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003582:Cytogenetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*