[Clinical and molecular biological study of Ph positive acute leukemia: comparison with blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia and Ph negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia].
Eight cases of Philadelphia positive acute leukemia (Ph+AL) were compared with 13 cases of Ph+ chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis (BC) and 10 cases of Ph negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-ALL) based on the clinical and molecular biological findings. Distinguishing clinical features were a high leukocyte count (median; 147.9 x 10(3)/microliters) for Ph+AL, and a high incidence of tumor formation and basophilia for BC. A cytogenetic study demonstrated the disappearance or marked reduction of Ph+ metaphases in Ph+AL in remission, while Ph+ cells persisted in BC. The major bcr gene was not rearranged in 4 Ph+AL cases, whereas it was found rearranged in 4 other cases of Ph+ AL and 6 cases of BC. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique demonstrated the presence of minor bcr/abl mRNA in the former three cases, and major bcr/abl mRNA in the latter 4 cases. Remission rates were 63% for Ph+AL, 38% for BC, and 100% for Ph-ALL, and the 50% survival were 12, 5 and 29 months, respectively. It was concluded that Ph+AL can be differentiated from BC by a marked reduction of Ph+ cells at remission, and that the prognosis of Ph+AL is better than BC, but worse than Ph-ALL.