Incidence of cytogenetic (CG) abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM) in a minority population.

Abstract

e18568 Background: Genomic aberrations are associated with MM survival and disease evolution. The combination of cytogenetics and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) reveals more anomalies than CG alone. The incidence of CG abnormalities in African American MM patients (AA) is not known. Methods: Records of patients with MM seen at Kings County Hospital and Downstate Medical Center from 2004 through 2010 were reviewed. Results: Of the 185 records reviewed, 181 (98%) patients had MM; 3 had plasma cell leukemia. Their age ranged from 36-89 years (median 66). There were 84 men (46%) and 97 women. CG analysis was done in 86 patients, 41 (48%) female and 45 (52%) male; of whom 82 were AA. CG was abnormal in 14 male and 6 female patients. Aneuploidy was present in 15 of 20 (75%); 11 of the 15 (73%) were hyperdiploid and 4 (26%) hypodiploid. Hyperdiploid chromosome number ranged from 49 to 67 (median 53). The most frequently aberrant chromosomes were 1, 4, 5 and 15. FISH was done in 42 patients for abnormal chromosomes 13, 14 and 17. One of 37 chromosomes 13 (2.6%), 3 of 28 (11%) chromosomes 14, and 1 of 14 (7.1%) chromosomes 17 displayed molecular abnormalities. In no case was more than one abnormality found. FISH on 28 patients with normal CG yielded only 1 (3.6%) abnormality. Conclusions: Abnormal CG was not more frequent in this AA population than in MM patients from other ethnic groups, but was in male AA patients. Fewer molecular abnormalities were found in this population.