Breakpoints in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive leukemias

We studied chromosome 22 breakpoints in 24 Philadelphia (Ph1)-positive leukemias. Nineteen of 21 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) possessed a chromosomal break within the 5.8 kilobase (kb) breakpoint cluster region (bcr). Furthermore, in one of three cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), we found a chromosomal rearrangement in the bcr locus. No chromosomal rearrangements were found in two cases of CML and two cases of ALL using several restriction enzymes. The bcr rearrangement is highly specific for CML. Further analyses will be necessary to determine whether some cases without bcr rearrangement have another specific locus of rearrangement. Two of three cases of CML with blastic crisis had rearrangement of the immunoglobulin gene and T-cell receptor gene. One CML patient with blastic crisis, who achieved complete remission but relapsed thereafter, was found to have the same immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in the blastic crisis and relapse phases, suggesting that the same clone was involved in both crisis and relapse.