Correlation between growth pattern in vitro and karyotype of bone marrow cells and prognosis in adult acute nonlymphocytic leukemia

Summary

Growth pattern in vitro and karyotype of cultured bone marrow cells were studied in 31 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Two different growth patterns were identified: cluster growth (pattern I), and no growth (pattern ll). Patients with growth pattern I had a significantly higher complete remission (CR) rate clinically than those with growth pattern I. A serial study of 23 patients during induction treatment showed three different patterns: (1) colony growth, (2) persistence of clusters, and (3) persistence of no growth. The prognosis of the patients with the first pattern was most favourable, 11 of 13 patients achieved CR on an average of 24 days after first detection of colony formation. The data from 152 cultures showed that the colony forming ability had a negative correlation with the percentage of marrow blasts. Karyotype analysis with G-banding technique was successfully performed in 26 patients, in 14 of whom abnormal clones were detected. There was no difference in CR rates between groups NN, A A and AN, although CR was more easily achieved in patients with t(8; 2l). No relationship was seen between growth pattern and karyotype.