ABSTRACT
Cytogenetic examinations were carried out in 40 children with acute leukaemia. In 18 cases karyotype changes were demonstrated, in 8 cases the karyotype was normal, in 14 cases no cell division was obtained and these patients were excluded from further analysis. In the group with karyotype changes in most cases poor prognosis indices were found, including high number of blasts, extramedullary presence of leukaemic infiltrations and FAB L2 or L3. Chromosomal abnormalities included presence of aberrations in the form of translocation, mosaicism of karyotypes with nearly tetraploidy line, accessory marker chromosomes and other anomalies. In this group 8 children died (30% of all observed cases), while in the group without karyotype changes 2 children died (about 8%). In summary the authors stress the correlation between the presence of clinical prognostic factors (risk factors) and karyotype changes and worse prognosis in cases with chromosomal abnormalities. Attention is called to the great usefulness of cytogenetic examinations in the prognosis and treatment of leukaemias in children.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/pathology , Chromosome Aberrations/genetics , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21/ultrastructure , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6/ultrastructure , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8/ultrastructure , Lymphocytes/ultrastructure , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/genetics , Trisomy , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Karyotyping/methods , Male , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/blood , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathologyABSTRACT
Monozygous twin phenotypic females, aged 18, with primary amenorrhea and a 46,XY karyotype and bearing germ cell tumors are described. Patient 1 had a large pelvic tumor involving the uterus, oviduct, and intestine. Histology revealed the choriocarcinoma pattern. No ovarian or testicular tissue was identified. The preoperative serologic pregnancy test was positive. After surgery the urinary human chorionic gonadotropin value was 2500 units per 24 hours. The patient died 2 months after the operation despite chemotherapy. Patient 2 was admitted to the hospital for evaluation following the discovery of pelvic tumor in her twin sister. She had 1 streak gonad harboring gonadoblastoma and, on the opposite side, a gonadoblastoma overgrown by dysgerminoma. The patient is well 4 years after surgery. The risk of malignancy in individuals with XY gonadal dysgenesis is emphasized, and examination and confirmation of karyotype of siblings are recommended.
Subject(s)
Choriocarcinoma/genetics , Diseases in Twins , Dysgerminoma/genetics , Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XY/genetics , Gonadal Dysgenesis/genetics , Pelvic Neoplasms/genetics , Twins, Monozygotic , Twins , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , PregnancyABSTRACT
The morphological and karyological properties as well as susceptibility to virus strain of tissue culture derived from human embryo lung that underwent a transformation becoming a continuous line defined as PZH-1 were observed. The observations cover 120 passages divided into four phases: one before and three after transformation. Each of these phases was characterised by different biological strain properties. Loss of PZH-1 susceptibility to ECHO virus was the first change of biological properties preceding in time changes in growth rate, cell morphology and chromosome complement. The loss of susceptibility to ECHO virus may indicate cell transformation.
