Clinical, cytogenetic and dual-color FISH studies on five cases of myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia patients with 1;7 translocation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical and cytogenetic characteristics of four patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and one with acute myeloid leukemia experiencing t (1;7).


METHODS
Five patients seen in our hospital from 1992 to 2001 were diagnosed as MDS and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) according to the French-American-British (FAB) criteria. Chromosomes were prepared using the direct method as well as 24-hour unstimulated cultures of fresh heparinized bone marrow for each subject, while R-banding was used to analyze karyotypes. Dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using SpectrumRed and SpectrumGreen directly labeled chromosome 1-specific alpha-satellite DNA probe (red) and chromosome 7- specific alpha-satellite DNA probe (green) was performed for three cases.


RESULTS
Of the five patients, three had 1;7 translocation due to a long history of exposure to benzene. In three cases, dual-color FISH resulted in three red signals and two green ones, in which one red signal adjoining one green signal in 27.6%, 84% and 18.5% metaphases, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to benzene may be the cause for Chinese MDS and AML patients with t (1;7) translocation. The result of dual-color FISH convincingly confirmed that the centromere of the derivative chromosome 7p/1q resulting from 1;7 translocation was made up of centromeres from both chromosomes 1 and 7.
Shen
Yongmei
Y
Leukemia Research Unit, Jiangsu Institution of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
Xue
Yongquan
Y
Li
Jianyong
J
Pan
Jinlan
J
Wu
Yafang
Y
D000328:Adult; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000235:genetics*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic