Chromosomes in Hodgkin's disease and other malignant lymphomas

Abstract

Direct chromosome preparations have been made on biopsies from 12 untreated cases of malignant lymphoma. In a majority of cases there appears to be accentuation of secondary constriction in chromosome 9 and occasionally in other chromosomes. In aneuploid cells gains or losses for particular homologues may be nonrandom. Ten of the 12 cases showed some apparently classically diploid cells. In 5 of 6 cases of Hodgkin's disease (H.D.) some hyperdiploid, usually near-tetraploid, cells were found and are presumed to represent Reed-Sternberg cells. In one case of H.D. quasi-diploid cells predominated. In one case of H.D. and in one case of lymphosarcoma only apparently classically diploid cells were found. Four reticulum cell sarcomas had abnormal karyotypes with stemlines varying from near-diploid to hypertetraploid.