The relationship between growth in agar, karyotype and prognosis in acute leukaemia

The growth pattern in agar culture and the karyotype of bone marrow cells were studied in 79 patients with untreated acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL). Results were divided into the following groups: (A) colony and cluster formation; (B) growth of less than 600 small clusters per 10(5) cells; (C) growth of more than 600 small clusters; (D) no growth in agar. Cytogenetically, the patients were divided into 3 categories: NN, normal metaphases only; AN, both abnormal and normal metaphases and AA, abnormal metaphases only. An association was seen between growth pattern and karyotype: the majority of NN patients (33/37) belonged to group (A + B) while in group (C + D) 20/24 patients were AN or AA. 37 patients were prognostically evaluable. The growth pattern in agar but not the cytogenetic pattern had prognostic implications. 25 patients with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) were also studied at diagnosis. Different growth patterns in agar had no impact on prognosis. No relationship was detected between growth pattern and karyotype in ALL.