Flow cytometric DNA index and karyotype in childhood lymphoblastic leukemia.
Flow cytometric DNA-index (DI(FCM)) and karyotype were analysed in 82 consecutive children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during a 10 year period. A statistically significant correlation existed between modal chromosome number and DI(FCM) (p = 0.009). DI(FCM) could reliably identify leukemias with >51 chromosomes, whereas only three out of 12 cases with modal chromosome numbers between 47-51 were classified as aneuploid by DI(FCM). In the pseudodiploid group only one out of 20 leukemias had a DI(FCM) > 1.0. Five leukemias with a diploid karyotype showed an aneuploid DI(FCM) and in three patients the flow cytometric measurement revealed biclonality undetected by karyotyping. During treatment aneuploid clones could be detected by DI(FCM) in a substantial number of cases where the cytogenetic analysis was normal, and the opposite was also demonstrated in one case. DI(FCM) gave prognostic information, showing that cases with a DI > 1.12 (corresponding to 51 chromosomes) had a superior outcome with treatment protocols today in use.
Forestier
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E
Department of Pediatrics, Umeå University, Sweden.
Holmgren
G
G
Roos
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007621:Karyotyping / Q000379:methods*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D013534:Survival; D013997:Time Factors