17q21-qter trisomy is an indicator of poor prognosis in acute myelogenous leukemia.
A reciprocal translocation (9;11) is often found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), mostly of the M5a type. We report a case of a child with AML, in whom t(9;11) was observed at diagnosis as the sole structural abnormality, together with trisomies 19 and 21. The diagnosis was AML evolving from a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and the blast morphology was undifferentiated. Chemotherapy failed to induce morphological remission and the patient's condition soon worsened. A subclone appeared and expanded during the course of the disease, with an additional unbalanced translocation (1;17) leading to trisomy of the long arm of chromosome 17 (17q). The data available from the literature on acquired anomalies involving 17q and our observation led us to postulate a specific link between the gain of 17q and complete chemoresistance.
Morerio
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Divisione di Ematologia ed Oncologia Pediatrica, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, L. go G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genova, Italy.
Russo
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I
Rosanda
C
C
Rapella
A
A
Leszl
A
A
Basso
G
G
Maserati
E
E
Pasquali
F
F
Panarello
C
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000754:Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts / Q000235:genetics; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics*; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / Q000235:genetics*; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D014314:Trisomy / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers