DIC(4-17)(P11-P11) - A NEW RECURRENT CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITY IN CHRONIC B-LYMPHOID DISORDERS

We describe a new nonrandom rearrangement, dic(4;17)(p11;p11), which w as identified in three patients with small lymphocytic lymphoma/chroni c lymphocytic leukemia (SLL/CLL). All three cases had in common atypic al morphological features with a significant component of prolymphocyt es, an unusual clinical outcome, and were refractory to chemotherapy. To further define the cytogenetic breakpoints, we investigated the cas es by whole chromosome painting and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with centromeric probes. FISH analysis detected the same cytog enetic rearrangement in all patients, suggesting that the dic(4;17)(p1 1;p11) is a recurrent translocation in SLL/CLL Moreover, FISH analysis showed a monoallelic deletion of the TP53 gene in all cases, suggesti ng a correlation with the aggressive course of the disease and the cli nical outcome observed in these patients. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.