Early T cell differentiated chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis with
rearrangement of the breakpoint cluster region but not of the T cell
receptor beta chain genes
M Gramatzki, CR Bartram, D Muller, M Walter, H Tittelbach and JR Kalden
Early T cell differentiation is described in a case of Philadelphia
chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast crisis,
supporting multi-lineage differentiation potential of CML precursor cells.
In the absence of myeloid markers, strong positivity for terminal
deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and reactivity with T cell antibody 3A1,
but lack of more mature T cell antigens, provided evidence for immature T
cell differentiation. Molecular analysis of the breakpoint cluster region
(bcr) in chromosome 22 revealed a rearrangement and thus confirmed the CML
origin of the early T cell blasts. T cell receptor beta chain sequences
were found in germline configuration and therefore suggest a very immature
stage of T cell differentiation in the CML blasts.
Volume 69,
Issue 4,
pp. 1082-1086,
04/01/1987
Copyright © 1987 by The American Society of Hematology