Chronic myeloid leukemia with thrombocythemic onset may be associated with different BCR/ABL variant transcripts

Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 1998 Feb;101(1):75-7. doi: 10.1016/s0165-4608(97)00263-x.

Abstract

Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) mimicking essential thrombocythemia (ET) at onset seems to be a distinct clinical entity. Whether this rare clinical form of CML is associated with single, specific variants of BCR/ABL transcripts is a matter of debate. Among 82 consecutive patients with Ph-positive CML, we identified 3 patients in which the disease mimicked ET at presentation, because of marked thrombocytosis and moderate leukocytosis, with few immature myeloid cells in peripheral blood and blood basophilia in 2 of them. Molecular analysis with the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique showed the presence of b2a2, b3a2, and b3a2-b2a2 transcript variants in the three patients, respectively. The results of our study together with a review of literature data suggest that different BCR/ABL transcript variants may occur in CML mimicking ET, without an apparently significant prevalence of one type.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenotype
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Thrombocytosis / complications*
  • Translocation, Genetic

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl