Objective: To determine the frequency of rearrangement of the myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia gene in acute leukaemia in Hong Kong Chinese children.
Design: Immunophenotyping, cytogenetic, and molecular analysis.
Setting: Regional hospital, Hong Kong.
Participants: Bone marrow or peripheral blood samples were taken from 27 children aged 16 years or younger with acute leukaemia, from September 1995 through February 1998.
Main outcome measures: Gene rearrangement was analysed by Southern blotting of HindIII digestion products of mononuclear cell DNA, followed by hybridisation with the myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia P/S4 probe. Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect and characterise duplication of the myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia gene.
Results: Only one (4%) of 23 children whose marrow or peripheral blood samples contained adequate material for genetic study showed rearrangement in the myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia gene. No children were positive for partial tandem duplication of the myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia gene.
Conclusion: Myeloid-lymphoid leukaemia gene rearrangement is rare in Hong Kong Chinese children with acute leukaemia.