Pattern of Karyotypic Aberrations in Pakistani Patients with De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease of the bone marrow in which karyotypic analysis is the most important diagnostic and prognostic tool for predicting remission rate, relapse and overall survival. This study was carried out to determine the frequency and type of cytogenetic aberrations in de novo acute myeloid leukemia in adults at a tertiary care hospital.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the Hematology Department, Liaquat National Hospital from November 2014 to April 2016.A total of 51cases were diagnosed with AML during the study period. Cytogenetic analysis was carried out by banding technique on bone marrow aspirate samples.

The mean age of the study subject was 42.03±17.70 years. Frequency of karyotyping abnormalities was observed in 47% of cases, in which most frequently occurring cytogenetic abnormalities were those of good cytogenetics including t(15;17) and t(8;21), seen in 23.5% and 9.8% of cases respectively. Intermediate risk cytogenetics including Del 9q was seen in 1.96% of cases. However, poor risk cytogenetics including complex cytogenetics, t(11;q23) and del (13) were seen in 7.8%, 1.96% and 1.96% of cases respectively. Normal cytogenetics was seen in 27 (52.9%) patients.

Karyotyping is one of the most important diagnostic and prognostic tools and a maximum benefit could be attained through cytogenetic analysis. Cytogenetic aberrations in our series are more or less similar as reported at national level with preponderance of good risk cytogenetics in our setting.