Array comparative genomic hybridization of peripheral blood granulocytes of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome detects karyotypic abnormalities.

The diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) relies largely on morphologic and karyotypic abnormalities, present in about 50% of patients with MDS. Array-based genomic platforms have identified copy number alterations in 50% to 70% of bone marrow samples of patients with MDS with a normal karyotype, suggesting a diagnostic role for these platforms. We investigated whether blood granulocytes harbor the same copy number alterations as the marrow of affected patients. Of 11 patients, 4 had cytogenetic abnormalities shown by conventional karyotyping involving chromosomes 5, 8, 11, 20, and X, and these changes were seen in the granulocytes of all 4 patients by using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). Cryptic alterations were identified at a significantly higher level in marrow CD34+ cells compared with granulocytes (P < .0001). These data suggest that aCGH analysis of circulating granulocytes may be useful in detecting gross karyotypic alterations in patients with MDS when marrow examination has failed or not been done.