REARRANGEMENT OF THE N-MYC ONCOGENE IN ACUTE LEUKEMIAS - A CASE-REPORT

Rearrangements of the N-myc oncogene have not been described in the li terature. The authors present a case of ANLL with the N-myc gene rearr anged out of 16 ANLLs and 11 ALLs. While the proportion of the blast c ells in the case reported was 85%, the rearranged gene gave a hybridiz ation band which was less intense than that of the germline band, maki ng it probable that this gene rearrangement is present in a leukemia s ubclone. The c-myc oncogene as well as Ig and TcR genes were in germli ne configurations. The presence of the rearranged N-myc in the reporte d case could imply an alternative mechanism of mutation of this oncoge ne in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies.