C‐G translocation in acute myelocytic leukemia with low neutrophil alkaline phosphatase activity

Abstract

A consistent chromosome abnormality of C-G translocation, t(8;21)(q22;q22), was found in 15 acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) patients with low neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (N-AP) activity. Granulocytes of these patient also had specific morphologic abnormalities. The bone marrow showed a tendency to relatively good maturation of leukemic cells for AML. Clinical courses of the patients were mild and median survival was longer than that of patients with normal or high N-AP activity (P = 0.065, suggestive difference). Three of 6 male patients with this type of AML had missing Y chromosome in addition to the C-G translocation. The results suggest that C-G translocation would be significantly associated with AML. Contrasting with low N-AP activity and the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelocytic leukemia, the findings in AML may offer additional evidence toward the possible relations between AP activity and C or G chromosomes.