title: More on geographic hematology: the breakpoint cluster regions of the PML/RARalpha fusion gene in Mexican Mestizo patients with promyelocytic leukemia are different from those in Caucasians.
abstract: Acute promyelocytic leukemia is characterized the PML/RARalpha chimeric fusion gene, transcript and protein; the breakpoint cluster regions (bcr) in the PML gene may occur in 3 different sites: Intron 6 (bcr1), exon 6 (bcr2) or intron 3 (bcr3). In a 10-year period in a single institution, we studied prospectively the breakpoint cluster regions of the PML/RARalpha fusion gene in 43 Mexican Mestizo patients with APL, and found that the bcr1 represented 62.7%, the bcr2 9.3% whereas the bcr3 27.9%. The prevalence of the bcr1 subtype is significantly higher than that informed in Caucasians and similar to that in Asians; these data are consonant with those described in other Latin-American patients with APL. Since other Asian genetic markers have been found in the Indian component of the Mexican mestizos, it is possible that the Asian immigration into the Americas through the strait of Behring 12,000 years ago may account for a possible genetic susceptibility to suffer certain forms of APL.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna de Puebla, Mexico. gruiz1@clinicaruiz.com
authors.forename: Guillermo J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Argüelles
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcés-Eisele
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Reyes-Núñez
authors.forename: José David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gómez-Rangel
authors.forename: Guillermo J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Delgado
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D043283:Chromosome Fragile Sites / Q000235:genetics*; D002884:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000235:genetics; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein