García-Sanz R, Alaejos I, Orfão A, Rasillo A, Chillón M C, Tabernero M D, Mateos M V, López-Pérez R, González D, Balanzategui A, González M, San Miguel J F, Bortolucci A
Haematology Service, University Hospital of Salamanca, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Br J Haematol. 1999 Dec;107(3):667-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1999.01747.x.
We report on a series of Spanish patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in whom the t(12;21) [TEL/AML1] translocation could not be identified with two sensitive techniques: reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). 101 cases were analysed: 38 children (29 B-cell precursor; nine T-cell precursor) and 63 adults (48 B-cell precursor; 15 T-cell precursor). Specific RT-PCR to amplify the TEL/AML1 fusion transcript was negative in all 101 cases. Moreover, all 38 paediatric samples were also negative by interphase FISH analysis for the presence of the TEL/AML1 fusion. These results suggest the existence of geographic/race variations in the genotype of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
