[Clinical and experimental studies on five cases of acute myeloid leukemia with translocation t(16;21)(p11;q22)].
OBJECTIVE
To report five cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation and the result of chromosome painting analysis on one of them.


METHODS
Chromosome specimens were prepared by short-term culture of bone marrow cells. Karyotype analysis was made by R-banding technique. Chromosome painting was performed using whole chromosome probes 16 and 21 in 1 case.


RESULTS
Karyotype analysis showed identical translocation t(16;21)(p11;q22) in all five cases, accounting for 0.3% of 1448 cases of acute myeoid leukemia examined in the past fifteen years. Moreover, chromosome painting distinctly demonstrated t(16;21) in one of them. Leukemia blasts did not show hemophagocytosis in all of them.


CONCLUSIONS
t(16;21) translocation is a rare and recurring chromosome rearrangement. It represents a specific type of AML. Chromosome painting technique is a more reliable means for detecting it, compared with the conventional karyotype analysis.
Wu
Yafang
Y
The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006 P. R. China. uujihsmc@public1.sz.js.cn
Xue
Yongquan
Y
Pan
Jinlan
J
Ma
Qinfeng
Q
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002885:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 / Q000235:genetics*; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D014178:Translocation, Genetic