Loss of telomeric sequences in a ring derived from chromosome 8 in refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation.

Using the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique, we analyzed a ring chromosome that appeared as a karyotype evolution in a patient affected by refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation. Metaphases hybridized with a chromosome-8-specific centromeric probe indicated that the ring retained the centromere of chromosome 8. Successively, utilizing a probe specific for all human telomeres, we observed that the ring lost telomeric sequences. This study demonstrated that the formation of a ring chromosome in hematologic disorders can cause loss of genetic material not revealed by banding techniques and therefore providing further proof of the advantages of molecular cytogenetic techniques.