ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the karyotype stability in hematological malignancies patients before and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and its prognostic significance of monitoring.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The karyotypes and clinical data of 21 patients with hematological malignancies at the initial diagnosis and at relapse after allo-HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Chromosome analysis was performed by standard 24 h-cultured method and R banding.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Karyotypes at the initial diagnosis and at relapse after allo-HSCT were different in 11 patients (52.38%), including chromosome 1, 3, 6, 12, 17, 21. Numberical abnormalities and structural chromosomal abnormalities always occurs together. The median survival time of relapse of the patients with karyotype changes was significantly shorter than that of patients without a karyotype change (79 d vs 522 d, P = 0.027), and that of the patients with trisomy 6 was also significantly shorter than that of the patients without trisomy 6 (9 d vs 275 d, P = 0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Karyotype changes after relapse are associated with the prognosis of allo-HSCT.</p>