Characterization of common chromosomal translocations and their frequencies in acute myeloid leukemia patients of northwest Iran

Objective: Detection of chromosomal translocations has an important role in diagnosis and treatment of hematological disorders. We aimed to evaluate the 46 new cases of de novo acute myeloid leukemia [AML] patients for common translocations and to assess the effect of geographic and ethnic differences on their frequencies

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] was used on 46 fresh bone marrow or peripheral blood samples to detect translocations t [8; 21], t [15; 17], t [9; 11] and inv [16]. Patients were classified using the French-American-British [FAB] criteria in to eight sub-groups [M0-M7]. Immunophenotyping and biochemical test results of patients were compared with RT-PCR results

Results: Our patients were relatively young with a mean age of 44 years. AML was relatively predominant in female patients [54.3%] and most of patients belonged to AML-M2. Translocation t [8; 21] had the highest frequency [13%] and t [15; 17] with 2.7% incidence was the second most frequent. CD19 as an immunophenotypic marker was at a relatively high frequency [50%] in cases with t [8; 21] and patients with this translocation had a specific immunophenotypic pattern of complete expression of CD45, CD38, CD34, CD33 and HLA-DR

Conclusion: Similarities and differences of results in Iran with different parts of the world can be explained with ethnic and geographic factors in characterizations of AML. Recognition of these factors especially in other comprehensive studies may aid better diagnosis and management of this disease

Reliability evaluation of fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] and g-banding on bone marrow and peripheral blood cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia patients

Chronic myeloid leukemia [CML] is a myeloproliferative disease. The cytogenetic hallmark of CML is Philadelphia [Ph] chromosome. This study aimed to diagnose suspected CML patients, to monitor CML patients under therapy using cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] techniques to analyze their bone marrow [BM] and peripheral blood [PB] samples, and finally to compare their obtained results for both specimens. This study was conducted during one-year period [2012-2013]. The participants were recruited from the Hematology and Oncology Clinic of Shahid Gazi [Emam Reza] Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. We analyzed 90 samples from 60 suspected CML patients [30 BM and 60 PB samples]. All samples were analyzed using G-banding, 5 samples using dual fusion FISH [DF-FISH] probes, as well as 30 samples using both FISH and G-banding. Among the 90 analyzed samples of 60 patients, 25 [41.66%] were Ph+ using karyotyping, whereas five cases were not analyzable, so FISH was applied and the results confirmed that only two individuals were BCR-ABL+. In the comparison between 25 BM and 25 PB samples using karyotyping, 15 [60%] and 10 [40%] were ph+, respectively. The comparison of FISH and karyotyping on 30 samples showed that 9 [30%] and 8 [26.66%] were Ph+, respectively, and only 18.18% of Ph+ patients showed atypical patterns. In the comparison between BM-cytogenetic and PB-interphase-FISH [I-FISH], BM-cytogenetic was more reliable than PB-I-FISH in detecting Ph. Our data demonstrate that FISH analysis is a rapid, reliable and sensitive technique. The comparison between BM and PB showed that PB can not be replaced by BM, even in detecting by FISH