Abnormalities of 3q21 and 3q26 in myeloid malignancy: a United Kingdom Cancer Cytogenetic Group study.

Cytogenetic and clinical details are presented for 66 patients with myeloid malignancy and chromosome abnormalities of 3q21 and/or 3q26 (3qabns). Bone marrow and/or peripheral blood morphology was assessed for 52 cases. 3qabns in Philadelphia negative (Ph-ve) and positive (Ph+ve) cases were inv(3)(q21q26), (21 Ph-ve, 6 Ph+ve); t(3;3)(q21;q26) (nine Ph-ve, four Ph+ve); and t(3;21)(q26;q22) (four Ph-ve, six Ph+ve). Ph-ve cases also had t(1;3)(p36;q21) (three cases), and t(3;5)(q21;q31)/(q21;q35)/(q26;q21) (five cases aged < 40 years). Three cases, aged < 30 years, had t(3;12)(q26;p13) which defines a new 3qabn subgroup. Monosomy 7 and/or 5q- accompanied inv(3) or t(3;3) in 17/30 cases. All cases had a myeloid malignancy (predominantly AML M1, M4 or M7), frequent trilineage myelodysplasia, and markedly abnormal megakaryopoiesis with micromegakaryocytes (< 30 microns). Thrombocytosis occurred in two cases only. Most Ph+ve cases were in myeloid blast crisis and in Ph+ve cases alone, micro-megakaryocytes were uniquely small (10 microns) in 7/11 cases. There were equal numbers of males and females. Seven secondary leukaemias were found in Ph-ve cases with inv(3), t(3;3), t(3;21), t(1;3) or del(3)(q21). Three cases with t(3;21) (one Ph+ve) were de novo AML or had de novo aplastic anaemia. Survival was rarely greater than 12 months from detection of the 3qabn.