CD15(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia and subsequent monoblastic leukemia: persistence of t(4;11) abnormality and B-cell gene rearrangement

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2001 Sep;125(9):1227-30. doi: 10.5858/2001-125-1227-CALLAS.

Abstract

The abnormality in the translocation of chromosomes 4 and 11 (t[4;11]) has been characteristically associated with calla-negative CD15(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of early pre-B-cell origin. Transformation of a lymphoblastoid to a monoblastoid morphologic structure has rarely been described at relapse in these cases; however, these cases have lacked flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) and genotypic studies (GS) to define the immunophenotype of and the presence of a B-cell gene rearrangement in the monoblastoid component. We report a case of CD15(+), CD10(-) ALL of early pre-B-cell origin defined by morphologic testing and FCI with the t(4;11) abnormality. At relapse, the morphologic testing, enzyme cytochemistry, and FCI data were characteristic of monoblastic leukemia. The t(4;11) abnormality persisted with associated additional chromosomal abnormalities, and the monoblasts contained a B-cell gene rearrangement by GS. These findings support the concept that both processes arose from a multipotential progenitor cell.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD / blood
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Blast Crisis / genetics
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / genetics
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / blood
  • Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / immunology
  • Lewis X Antigen / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / blood
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / genetics*
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / immunology
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / immunology*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / therapy
  • Translocation, Genetic*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
  • Lewis X Antigen