Correlation of a specific chromosomal marker, 21q-, and retroviral indicators in patients with thrombocythemia.

A chromosomal anomaly, 21q-, has been found in association with retroviral indicators in patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). The viral indicators are found in platelet homogenates of thrombocythemic patients. Evidence is presented from 2 laboratories (Philadelphia, USA and Bologna, Italy) for the 21q- deletion in MPD patients. Thirty patients evaluated for the presence of both viral and chromosomal markers in Philadelphia showed positive correlations.