AIMS To compare the sensitivity of the ultrastructural method to detect myeloperoxidase (MPO) with light microscopy and immunocytochemistry using an anti-MPO antibody; to examine the expression of lymphoid antigens in relation to MPO activity in blast cells from cases of biphenotypic leukaemia. METHODS Blast cells from 14 cases of biphenotypic acute leukaemia were analysed. Immunological mark...

Granulocytic sarcoma is an unusual variant of myeloid malignancy most commonly encountered in the course of chronic or acute myeloid leukaemia. Of 60 patients of chronic myeloid leukaemia studied over 21 months, we encountered 6 (10%) cases of granulocytic sarcoma. Four of these had granulocytic sarcoma on their first presentation. All those who were receiving hydroxyurea did not fare well but ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the risk factors for leukaemic transformation and myeloid leukaemia in patients with SLE. METHODS A national SLE cohort identified through SLE discharge diagnoses in the Swedish hospital discharge register during 1964 to 1995 (n = 6438) was linked to the national cancer register. A nested case-control study in SLE patients who developed acute or chronic myeloid leukaemia w...

background: the glutathione s-transferase (gst) family of metabolising enzymes plays an important role in the detoxification of mutagens and carcinogens. the expression of many of these cancer susceptibility enzymes is genetically polymorphic. an increased frequency of gst-null genotypes has been associated with several malignancies. objective: to investigate the rate of gstt1 and gstm1 null ge...

The purpose of any classification of leukaemia is to identify distinct biological entities which diVer in aetiology, mechanisms of leukaemogenesis, clinicopathological features, and prognosis. Since the optimal treatment for such entities diVers, their recognition is not only of scientific interest but is also essential for optimal care of patients. Acute leukaemia can be classified in many way...

The purpose of any classification of leukaemia is to identify distinct biological entities which diVer in aetiology, mechanisms of leukaemogenesis, clinicopathological features, and prognosis. Since the optimal treatment for such entities diVers, their recognition is not only of scientific interest but is also essential for optimal care of patients. Acute leukaemia can be classified in many way...

The MLL gene from human chromosome 11q23 is involved in >30 different chromosomal translocations resulting in a plethora of different MLL fusion proteins. Each of these tends to associate with a specific leukaemia type, for example, MLL-AF9 is found mainly in acute myeloid leukaemia. We have studied the role of the Mll-AF9 gene fusion made in mouse embryonic stem cells by an homologous recombin...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecological association between indoor radon concentration and acute leukaemia incidence among children under 15 years of age in the 348 geographical units (zones d'emploi, ZE) of France between 1990 and 1998. During that period, 4015 cases were registered by the French National Registry of Childhood Leukaemia and Lymphoma. Exposure assessment was ...

Donor cell leukaemia (DCL) is a rare complication of allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We report the case of a female patient with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), FAB type M3, who developed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) type M5 of donor origin 17 years after allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from her HLA-matched sister. Morphology and immunophenotyping showed di...

The purpose of this overview is to discuss the changes in the 2008 WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms, with exclusion of acute myeloid leukaemia. Specific mutations or rearrangements leading to constitutive activation of growth factor receptors or cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases are now recognised as recurrent genetic events characterising the group of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). A ne...