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A dual-color FISH assay distinguishes between ELL and MLLT1 (ENL) gene rearrangements in t(11;19)-positive acute leukemia

Leukemia volume 20, pages 2046–2050 (2006)Cite this article

Cytogenetics is an important factor in hematologic disease classification and prognostication. However, accurate cytogenetic diagnosis depends on a number of parameters including overall mitotic index, the presence of dividing cells from the abnormal cell population, chromosome morphology and band-length resolution. As a result, chromosome aberrations found in patients with leukemia may be missed or inaccurately interpreted when the banding resolution is at or below 400 bands per haploid set. In view of these well-recognized limitations, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has proven to be particularly useful for the characterization and identification of known or suspected chromosome aberrations in neoplastic studies.1

Patients with t(11;19) leukemias have one of two known 19p breakpoints resulting in gene rearrangement with the mixed lineage leukemia protein (MLL) gene on 11q23. The eleven-nineteen lysine-rich leukemia (ELL) gene at 19p13.1 is rearranged in individuals with t(11;19) acute myeloid leukemia,2 whereas the myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia translocated to 1 (MLLT1) gene at 19p13.3 (formerly known as ENL), is rearranged frequently in patients with t(11;19) B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia.3 However, rare acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) or pediatric T-cell ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) patients have been reported with the 19p13.3 breakpoint.4 The mechanisms by which different patients with the same chromosome translocation and gene rearrangement can show a different tumor phenotype remain unknown.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially funded by a private donation from Pearl Ruttenberg and family to MLS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cytogenetics Division, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA, USA

    J S Biggerstaff & W Liu

  2. Health Research and Education Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA

    C Glotzbach & L G Shaffer

  3. Department of Cytogenetics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA

    M L Slovak & D Bobadilla

  4. Cytogenetics Laboratory, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA, USA

    E Bryant

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  1. J S Biggerstaff
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  2. W Liu
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Biggerstaff, J., Liu, W., Slovak, M. et al. A dual-color FISH assay distinguishes between ELL and MLLT1 (ENL) gene rearrangements in t(11;19)-positive acute leukemia. Leukemia 20, 2046–2050 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404371

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