Chromosomal characteristics of chronic and blastic phases of Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia

To evaluate the appearance of chromosome changes, in addition to the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, as predictive and diagnostic parameters of transformation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), such changes were analyzed in the chronic phase (CP) and compared with those of the blastic phase (BP) of CML. The common chromosome changes observed in the CP were loss of a Y (-Y), trisomy 8 (+8), an isochromosome for the long arm of chromosome #17 [i(17q)], a double Ph (+Ph), reciprocal translocations, and partial deletions. In most patients with chromosome changes in addition to the Ph, the percentage of abnormal clones increased steadily during the CP and was accompanied by other chromosome changes shortly before or at the onset of the BP, except for cases with -Y or i(17q) clones. In general, most chromosome changes observed shortly before or at the BP were complex. These facts suggest that complex chromosome changes could be utilized as predictive and diagnostic parameters of blastic transformation in CML.