Analysis of Risk Factors and Cytogenetic Anomalies in North Indian Leukemia Patients

The diagnosis and monitoring of leukemia's has been conventionally based on morphological examination of heamtoxylin-eosin (H&E) stained blood and bone marrow smears. Lately, cytogenetic and molecular markers are being increasingly used to gain additional prognostic information. In India, facilities for cytogenetics as well as molecular markers are limited to a few centers only.A prospective study was to find the correlation of known risk factors & cytognetic anomalies was carried out on one hundred and three cases and twenty eight control individuals with hematological malignancies during May 2003- May 2005 at Molecular biology and Immunology lab, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. Cytogenetic analysis was also carried out along with a detailed risk assessment analysis as per a predesigned proforma.Cytogenetic abnormalities were detected in 103 cases. Abnormalities seen were Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1), t(8,21), +8, monosomy 7 and 20, 5q deletion, hyperdiploidy; were seen in cases and not detected in control individuals. Chromosomal anomalies such as breaks, gaps and acentric fragments were also seen in both cases and controls.The appropriate statistical analysis was also done to compare the data of both the controls and the study group and also to study the effect of smoking, hair dye application and occupational exposure among both the groups.