[Correlation between karyotype and prognosis in adult lymphocytic leukemia]

Correlation between karyotype and prognosis in adults with lymphocytic leukemia are reviewed. Concerning acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), patients with normal karyotype or with hyperdiploidy (greater than 50 chromosomes) show good prognosis. On the other hand, patients with structural abnormalities, such as t(8;14), t(4;11), t(11;14) or with hyperdiploidy (47 to 50 chromosomes), show poor prognosis. Above findings indicate that karyotype is a significant prognostic factor in adults as well as in children with ALL. Karyotype must be considered in designing clinical trials to improve the prognosis in patients with lymphocytic leukemia, especially in ALL.