ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF IRTA17 AND IRTA21, 2 NOVEL ACUTE NONLYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA-CELL LINES WITH T(16-21) TRANSLOCATION

The t(16;21)(pll;q22) translocation is an infrequent chromosomal abnor mality, but seems specific to acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL), We established two cell lines with t(16;21)(p11;q22) from the bone mar row of a patient with ANLL in relapse, Their morphological, karyotypic , immunohistochemical and genetic features are examined, Although both cell lines show monocytoid features morphologically, they express onl y CD13 (My7) and CD34, and neither expressed monocytoid or lymphoid ma rkers. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that bot h cell lines expressed a similar TLS-ERG chimaeric mRNA as a result of the t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation. As far as we know, there is no r eport of a leukaemia cell line with t(16;21). These cell lines represe nt a useful tool for leukaemia research.