title: Cytogenetic profile of a large cohort of Tunisian de novo acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytogenetic data are essential not only for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia but also for the evaluation of prognosis. Large systematic studies of cytogenetic aberrations in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) from Arab countries are not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 631 consecutive newly diagnosed AML patients by conventional cytogenetics and compared our results with reports from other regions of the world. There were 97 (15·4%) children and 534 (84·6%) adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal karyotypes were found in 397 (62·9%)  of all cases. T(15;17) and t(8;21) were the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities observed in 83 (13·2%) and in 78 (12·4%) patients, respectively. -5/del(5q) and -7/del(7q) were less frequent, seen in only 14 (2·2%) and 19 (3%) cases, respectively. Trisomy  8 was found in 44 (7%) of our patients followed by 11q23 rearrangements seen in 24 (3·8%) and then by inv(16) observed in only 22 (3·5%) of all cases. Unusual or novel cytogenetic abnormalities were found in 107 (17%) of our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we confirmed,  as usually described, that some recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities are correlated with the FAB subtypes, we noted however that some of them vary in frequency among different geographical areas and ethnic groups. This finding suggests a geographic heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of AML but  more extensive epidemiological studies are required to confirm this.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytogenetics and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia. gmidene_abir@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Abir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gmidène
authors.forename: Hlima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sennana
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wahchi
authors.forename: Yosra Ben
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.forename: Ramzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jeddi
authors.forename: Moez
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elloumi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007621:Karyotyping; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East; D011379:Prognosis; D014416:Tunisia; D055815:Young Adult