Chromosomes in Hodgkin's disease--analysis of involved lymph nodes.

Chromosome studies carried out using lymph nodes of 47 patients with Hodgkin's disease gave analyzable metaphases in 22 patients of which 16 (72.7%) showed chromosome abnormalities. The modal chromosome number ranged from near-diploidy to near-tetraploidy. Chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21 and 22 were involved in trisomy and tetrasomy whereas chromosome 17 was involved in monosomy. Structural abnormalities like deletions of chromosomes 1(p13), 6(q24) and addition of chromatin material to chromosomes 11(q13) and 14(q32) were also detected. The involvement of chromosomes 2, 5, 12, 18 and 21 in numerical abnormalities, and chromosome 14(14q+) in structural aberrations was found to be more frequent in Hodgkin's disease. No clinical correlation could be defined between the various chromosome abnormalities and prognosis of these patients.