Retrospective evaluation of the clinical and laboratory data from 300 patients of various hematological malignancies with chromosome 3 abnormalities.

This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory behaviors of chromosome 3 abnormalities by analyzing the morphological, cytogenetic, and follow-up data from 300 patients of various hematological malignancies with chromosome 3 abnormalities. From the results, trisomy 3, translocation (3q), and del(3) were the abnormal types most frequently observed (>10%) among the chromosome 3 abnormalities. In hematological malignancies, chromosome 3 abnormalities were most frequently seen in the patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (24.7%) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (16%), followed by those with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (13.7%) and multiple myeloma (MM) (12.7%). In this series, genomic losses were the most frequent genetic abnormalities in AML, ALL, and hybrid acute leukemia (HAL) patients, whereas structural rearrangements were frequently seen in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and MDS patients, and genomic gains in MM, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. Chromosome 3 abnormalities mainly occurred as a component of a complex abnormality (251/300) rather than a sole one (14/300). Survival analysis demonstrated a statistical difference between the patients with trisomy 3, who had a better prognosis, and patients with del(3), who had a worse prognosis in this series (P < 0.05). Abnormalities in chromosome 3 may imply an unfavorable outcome in CML and ALL.