Cytogenetic study in acute myelocytic leukemia M₂

Summary

Cytogenetic studies were made in 22 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) (M₂), in 12 of whom the banding analysis was satisfactory. 4 of these 12 cases (33.3%) were proved to have 8;21 translocation, among whom one was an adult and the other 3 children. 2 male patients showed loss of Y chromosome and the karyotype was 45,X,-Y,t(8q⁻, 2lq⁺); one female patient showed an additional structural rearrangement and the karyotype was 46,XX, t(8q⁻,21q⁺),t(3p⁻:11p⁺). Out of the 4 patients with t(8;2l) 2 achieved complete or partial remission after treatment and the remission rate was about 50%. The period of survival in these two patients was also longer. They were still alive 12 months after the establishment of the diagnosis. The other 2 patients lived only 1.5–2 months. The short period of survival was probably due to loss of Y chromosome.