Heterochromatic variants and their association with neoplasias. II. Preleukemic states

A study of the heteromorphism of chromosomes #1, #9, and #16 was performed in the cells of 55 normal subjects and in those of 40 preleukemic patients including those with refractory anemia (RA) and sideroblastic anemia (SA), classified on the basis of the FAB nomenclature. Heteromorphism was present in 85% of the preleukemic patients, compared with 44% in normal controls (p less than 0.01). The patient population presented an increased incidence of C-band size variants in chromosome #1 (1qh+ and 1qh-), while chromosomes #9 and #16 showed no difference, compared with the findings in the control group.