title: [Genetic characteristics and its prognostic significance for 217 adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate cyto- and molecular genetic characteristics of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and its prognostic significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and seventeen adult patients with ALL were analyzed for cyto- and molecular genetic characteristics with combined conventional cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and nested PCR. Significance of genetic findings for prognosis was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  t(9;22)(q34;q11)/BCR-ABL has been the most frequent abnormality found in the cohort (56.3%). And 22.4% of cases with BCR-ABL detected by FISH was negative by cytogenetic analysis. Ratio of patients in high-risk group increased with age; Patients with B-ALL had a higher risk group than the average-risk group (98.40% vs. 65.70%, P=0.000). The overall survival (OS) rates at 3-month (67.30% vs. 85.10%, P=0.042), 6-month (55.1% vs. 80.4%, P=0.008), 12-month (34.0% vs. 59.1%, P=0.017) and 24-month (13.0% vs. 36.6%, P=0.010) were lower in high-risk group than in average-risk group, with medium OS time (11 months, 95% CI 8.0-13.9) being significantly shorter compared with the average-risk group (19 months, 95%CI 10.8-27.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult patients with ALL have unique cyto- and molecular genetic characteristics, which has important value for prognosis and guiding treatment. Moreover, combined cytogenetic and molecular genetic techniques can precisely define sub-groups of ALL patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Run
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Zhong-kun
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hai-rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Guang-rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yujie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Jian-fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian-yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis