Application of the multi-colour FISH to interphase nuclei and metaphase spreads for simultaneous examination of monosomy 7 and trisomies 8 and 11 in acute myelocytic leukaemia (AML).

We have used the multi-colour (three) fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique based on the ratio labelling for the detection of monosomy 7 and trisomies 8 and 11 in 13 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Two out of the 13 AML cases showed monosomy 7 and two out of the remaining cases exhibited trisomy 8 in interphase nuclei. Three of these results were confirmed by metaphase-FISH study. Trisomy 11 was not found either by the interphase FISH study or in the metaphase FISH study. These results demonstrate the potential power of multi-colour FISH using ratio labelling to produce more fluorescein colour in interphase nuclei for the detection of aneuploidies in leukaemia.