Objective: To explore the molecular cytogenetic characteristics in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Methods: Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect trisomy 12, deletion of 13q14 and 17p13 in 60 patients with CLL.
Results: Out of the 60 patients, 41 (68.3%) had at least one kind of molecular cytogenetic aberrations. Two (3.3%) had two kinds of abnormalities. Trisomy 12 was found in 12 (20.0%) cases, 13q14 deletion in 24 (40.0%) cases and 17p13 deletion in 5 (11.7%) cases. The number of trisomy 12 cells ranged from 4.0% to 34.0%, 13q14 deletion ranged from 22.0% to 93.0% and 17p13 deletion ranged from 6.0% to 68.0%. There was no significant difference among each Binet stages.
Conclusion: FISH is a more rapid, accurate and sensitive technique in analysis of chromosome aberrations in CLL. FISH may provide accurate information of molecular cytogenetics for CLL.