CYTOGENETIC FINDINGS IN 303 MEXICAN PATIENTS WITH DE-NOVO ACUTE MYELOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA

In this report are show the chromosomal changes seen in a group of 303 Mexican patients with denovo Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML). Two h undred forty-two patients were diagnosed and treated at two hospitals affiliated with the Institute Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), These are the Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI and Centro Medico La Raza Ho spitals; the remaining 61 patients were diagnosed and treated at the H ospital General de Mexico (HGM). Clonal abnormalities were detected in 75.6% of the patients; this result agrees with what has been reported in other large series of AML studies. The incidence of changes per ho spital was similar in patients from the IMSS hospitals (72-75%), while an increase was seen in patients from the HGM (85.2%). The chromosoma l changes seen in this study in order of frequency were: t(15;17)[18.8 %], t(9;22)[9.2%], miscellaneous chromosomal changes (mainly rearrange ments of chromosomes 1,2,3,12 y 17)[8.2%], abnormalities of 16q22 [7.3 %], t(8;21)[6.3%], -7/del(7q)[5.6%], t(6;9)[5.3%], and abnormalities o f 11q23 [4.6%]. We reported an increase in the incidence of certain ty pes of chromosomal changes seen in cases of AML, in comparison with re ports from other countries. These differences could be due to methodol ogical variations, although ethnic, socioeconomic and nutritional diff erences must not be disregarded, We support this finding when comparin g distribution of changes in the population of patients seen in the IM SS hospitals with those from the HGM; the main difference lies in the socioeconomic level.