Cytogenetic analysis of cryopreserved bone marrow cells

We studied the results of culturing and karyotyping of fresh BM and defrost ed BM cells from 11 patients with cytogenetic abnormalities with the diagno sis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In 8 of 11 patients the cytogenetic re sults from the fresh and defrosted BM were comparable with respect to the a mount and quality of abnormal metaphases. In only one patient one abnormal cell-line (out of two) re-appeared in the frozen BM, probably due to select ion, and in three patients we found a distinct decrease of amount and quali ty. In conclusion, cytogenetic analysis of cryopreserved BM cells can be a reliable alternative to analysis of fresh cells. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.