CYTOGENETIC STUDY OF CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE LEUKEMIA

The most common cause of death is bone marrow failure. Chromosomal analysis is essential for the diagnosis, response to treatment and prognosis of leukemia. Conventional karyotyping which shows the structural, numerical and compound aberrations have improved the genetic diagnosis of leukemia. The bone marrow samples from patients (2-60yrs) of 53 patients (32 male and 21 female) suffering from various types of leukemia were collected. The patients were selected on the basis of clinical diagnosis and pathologically presenting blast cells in the peripheral smear. After photography all cells were analysed and printed photographs were taken for karyotyping and the chromosomes were banded, karyotyped and studied in detail for translocations, deletions, inversion, monosomy, trisomy and hyperdeploidy. It is observed that in all subtypes of leukemia male patients are more prevalent than female. Certain translocations t(8:21), t(8:15) in AML and Hyperploidy in ALL had better treatment outcome with aggressive chemotherapy. Hence younger age group were usually having t(4:11) in ALL , t(8:21) & t(15:17) in AML had better prognosis than other chromosomal aberrations in old people. Trisomy 12, t(8:14) & t(4:11) and hypoploidy of all varieties had poor response to chemotherapy. It is felt that an attempt should be made for Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) to identify the origin of the marker chromosomes, oncogene amplifications, subtle translocations, sub-microscopic deletions and duplications associated with leukemia.