[Age-specific characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia karyotype]

To study distribution of some karyotype variants among patients of different age with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Distribution of balanced, normal, unbalanced, complex and monosomic karyotype among 244 patients with de novo AML in age groups 16-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61 and older was analysed.

There is difference in frequency of balanced and complex karyotype in patients under and over 60 years. Number of AML patients with balanced aberrations including favourable variants t(8;21), t(15;17) and inv(16) falls after 60 years of age (6.7% versus 15.0% in patients aged 16-20 years; p < 0.001), while a complex karyotype occurs more frequently in AML patients at the age of 61 and older (56.8% versus 2.7% in the group 16-20 years; p < 0.001). With age, more frequently detected is the most unfavourable monosomic karyotype with aberrations similar to those in myelodysplastic syndrome (57.1% in patients aged 16-60 years and in 80.0% in the group of 61 years of age and over).

Age-specific karyotype features detected may be explained by different biological mechanisms involved in leukosogenesis in young and elderly AML patients.