Prevalence of TEL/AML1 fusion gene in Thai children with B-cell precursor ALL using FISH technique

Abstract

The prevalence of TEL/AML1 fusion (translocation ets leukemia/ acute myeloid leukemia 1) in Thai children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was determined in 31 patients. TEL/AML1 translocation was detected in 10 patients (32.3 %).  Other co-existing aberrations with TEL/AML1 were found including multiple copies of AML1 gene in 2  patients (6.4 %), TEL gene deletion in 5 patients (16.1 %).  TEL gene deletion was observed in association with extra copies of  AML1 in 1 case (3.2 %).  DNA  probe  specific  FISH  revealed  as  a  high-performance  tool to  exhibit  TEL/ AML1  fusion in B-cell precursor  childhood  ALL patients.  With  high incidence of TEL/ AML1 fusion  translocation  detected by FISH  in  this  study, further  areas  of chromosome  alterations  may  be  revealed  using  FISH  technique.     This should be beneficial in diagnostics and planning of treatment for the ALL patients.