OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytogenetic and prognostic significance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t (8; 21). METHODS: 189 patients with t (8; 21) AML were categorized according to their additional karyotypic aberration and their clinical outcomes analysed. RESULTS: Among them, 63 patients (33.3%) were t (8; 21) without other additional aberrations, 126 cases (66.7%) were t (8; 21) with other additional aberrations. -Y was found in 46.7% (63/135) of the male and -X was found in 25.9% (14/54) of female patients. In additional aberrations, loss of the sex chromosome were found in 77 cases (61.1%), Del (9q) was found in 16 cases (12.7%), +4 was found in 5 cases (4.0%); 7q- was found in 6 cases (4.8%); Tetraploidy (4N) was found in 2 cases (1.6%); Variant translocation was found in 7 cases (5.6%). The 189 patients had a high remission rate (87.0%) and a relatively long median survival (21.6 months). +4 and 4N were an unfavorable prognostic factors. Fluorescence in situ hybridization technique is a more sensitive and accurate method to detect t (8; 21), especially in variant translocation, complex variant translocation and masked translocation. CONCLUSION: t (8; 21) AML is also frequently associated with additional chromosome aberrations, these aberration had influence on prognosis.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytogenetic and prognostic significance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t (8; 21). METHODS: 189 patients with t (8; 21) AML were categorized according to their additional karyotypic aberration and their clinical outcomes analysed. RESULTS: Among them, 63 patients (33.3%) were t (8; 21) without other additional aberrations, 126 cases (66.7%) were t (8; 21) with other additional aberrations. -Y was found in 46.7% (63/135) of the male and -X was found in 25.9% (14/54) of female patients. In additional aberrations, loss of the sex chromosome were found in 77 cases (61.1%), Del (9q) was found in 16 cases (12.7%), +4 was found in 5 cases (4.0%); 7q- was found in 6 cases (4.8%); Tetraploidy (4N) was found in 2 cases (1.6%); Variant translocation was found in 7 cases (5.6%). The 189 patients had a high remission rate (87.0%) and a relatively long median survival (21.6 months). +4 and 4N were an unfavorable prognostic factors. Fluorescence in situ hybridization technique is a more sensitive and accurate method to detect t (8; 21), especially in variant translocation, complex variant translocation and masked translocation. CONCLUSION: t (8; 21) AML is also frequently associated with additional chromosome aberrations, these aberration had influence on prognosis.