Presence of three recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, t(2;3)(p12;q37), del(8)(q24), and t(14;18), in an acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A complex chromosomal abnormality associating three recurrent rearrangements, t(2;3) (p12;q37), del(8)(q24), and t(14;18)(q32;q21), was detected in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of the Burkitt type. Southern blot studies showed rearrangements of MYC, BCL2, and JH genes, thus confirming the cytogenetic data. However, no rearrangement of the LAZ3/BCL6 gene, normally localized on band 3q27, could be detected. The simultaneous presence of three recurrent rearrangements specific for lymphoid malignancies addresses the question of their timing in the malignant process and the prognostic significance of the association of such anomalies.