Deletion of the human retinoblastoma gene in primary leukemias
YC Chen, PJ Chen, SH Yeh, HF Tien, CH Wang, JL Tang and RL Hong
Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan
University, Taipei, ROC.
As an initial step in evaluating the role of tumor suppressor genes in
leukemogenesis, we surveyed primary leukemia cells from 130 patients for
possible deletion of the retinoblastoma susceptibility (Rb) gene by
Southern blot analysis. Two of them clearly showed homozygous deletion of
Rb alleles. The first patient was a pre-B acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL)
associated with a cytogenetic translocation: t(14;16)(q24;q22). The
deletion was located at the 3' portion of the Rb gene, very close to the
site of Rb gene deletion recently identified in an ALL cell line. The
absence of Rb110 protein was further confirmed by Western blot analysis.
The second patient was a chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL),
terminated in acute blastic transformation. Deletion of the 5' portion of
Rb gene was found in leukemic cells in the chronic stage. The results
indicated that inactivation of the Rb gene occurred in certain cases of
leukemia. Its significance warrants further study.
Volume 76,
Issue 10,
pp. 2060-2064,
11/15/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology
