Prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia at Alexandria Main University Hospital

BackgroundUnderstanding the genetic basis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will help in risk stratification and a better therapeutic strategy. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panel at our institution compared with other studies.Patients and methods and resultsA CLL FISH panel that included P53/ATM Probe Combination and D13S319/13qter/12cen Deletion Enumeration Probe was analyzed in 100 newly diagnosed patients with CLL. TP53 deletion was the most prevalent aberration, which is in contrast with other Middle Eastern countries, where deletion 13q14 was the commonest aberration among patients.ConclusionThe heterogeneity of CLL clinical course is possibly explained by underlying molecular factors that affect prognosis including data from FISH probes. It is proposed that these abnormalities should be investigated at the time of diagnosis to better understand the disease outcome and prognosis.