title: An unusual T-cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia harboring a yet unreported near-tetraploid karyotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Near-tetraploid (model #81-103) and near-triploid (model #67-81) karyotypes are found in around 1% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Due to its rarity, these two cytogenetic subgroups are generally included in the hyperdiploid group (model # > 51). Therefore separate informations about these two subgroups are limited to a few reports. Some studies found that near-tetraploidy is relatively more frequent in higher median ages and it is associated to Frech-American-British Classification subtype L2. Although the mechanisms by which leukemic blast cells divide is still unclear, studies have suggested that hyperdiploidy, near-triploidy and near-tetraploidy do not seem to share the same mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Herewith, we present a new childhood T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia case of near-tetraploid karyotype with loss of two p53-gene copies, characterized in detail by cytogenetic and molecular studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that p53 is a good target gene to be screened, once p53 is one of the main effectors of cell cycle checkpoints.
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetics Department, Bone Marrow Unit (CEMO), The National Cancer Institute (INCA), Praça da Cruz Vermalha, 23, 6th floor, Centro, 20,230-130, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. luizamacedo@inca.gov.br.
authors.forename: Daniela Rn
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Samarth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatt
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manvelyan
authors.forename: Mariana T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Binato
authors.forename: Thais F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdelhay
authors.forename: Maria Luiza M
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Silva