Amplification of ETS2 oncogene in acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia with t(6;21;18)

Cytogenetic and molecular studies in a case of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) are reported in this paper. Bone marrow blasts carried a hypodiploid karyotype with a complex t(6;18;21)(6qter→6p21::21q22→21qter;18qter→18p11::6p22→6pter;21pter→21q22::6p21→6p22::18p11→18pter) and other numerical and structural changes. We studied the organization and the expression of the ETS2 gene which is located on chromosome 21 in order to investigate its possible involvement in the disease. DNA analysis showed a 20-fold amplification of ETS2 sequences; an increase of 3- to 4-fold in the mRNAs level compared to normal was shown by Northern hybridization.