DNA analysis to aid in the diagnosis of chronic myeloproliferative disorders

Diagnosing chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) can be difficult because of overlap and possible transitions between the different conditions and their similarity to reactive myeloproliferations. DNA analysis was applied to improve differentiation of CMPDs. All subtypes of CMPD analyzed, including chronic myeloid leukemia, agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, polycythemia vera, and essential thrombocythemia, had in common that granulocytes and bone marrow cells were clonal in origin, as shown by X chromosome-linked DNA polymorphism in conjunction with methylation patterns (n = 32). Reactive myeloproliferations, by contrast, showed polyclonal inactivation patterns. Clonality could not distinguish CMPD from cases of myelodysplastic syndrome because the latter (n = 7) also exhibited clonal hematopoiesis. Because of their clonal origin, peripheral granulocytes were used in all cases (n = 201) to detect bcr gene rearrangement. Despite possible morphologic overlap between different types of CMPD, bcr gene rearrangement was specific for chronic myeloid leukemia and could be applied to differentiate chronic myeloid leukemia from other CMPDs in cases of equivocal morphologic diagnosis. Chronic myeloproliferative disorders represent clonal hemopoietic diseases that probably have specific underlying genetic defects. Thus DNA analysis can aid substantially in the differential diagnosis of CMPD.