High incidence of the ETV6/RUNX1 fusion gene in paediatric precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemias with trisomy 21 as the sole cytogenetic change:: a Nordic series of cases diagnosed 1989-2005

Trisomy 21 is common in ETV6/RUNX1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL); both these aberrations are associated with a favourable outcome. The prognostic impact of +21 as a sole cytogenetic change could be due to a cryptic t(12;21)(p13;q22). The occurrence of ETV6/RUNX1 was determined in 66 childhood ALLs with an acquired +21 and a chromosome number < 51. ETV6/RUNX1 was found in 45% of cases and in the majority (10/18; 56%) of ALLs with sole +21. Event-free survival did not differ between the t(12;21)-positive and -negative cases. Thus, the prognostic impact of +21 is not attributable to cryptic ETV6/RUNX1.