Myelodysplastic syndrome with a t(2;11)(p21;q23-24) and translocation breakpoint close to miR-125b-1

The upregulation of oncogenes and the formation of fusion genes are commonly observed in hematological malignancies with recurring balanced translocations. However, in some malignancies exhibiting balanced chromosomal rearrangements, neither oncogene deregulation nor generation of fusion genes appears to be involved, suggesting that other mechanisms are at play. In the rare myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) containing a t(2;11)(p21;q23-24) translocation, breakpoints near a microRNA locus, miR-125b-1, in 11q24 have been suggested to be pathogenetically involved. Here we report the detailed mapping and sequencing of the breakpoint located only 2 kilobases from miR-125b-1 in an MDS patient with a t(2;11)(p21;q23-24).