t(1;5)(q23;q33) in a patient with high-risk b-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The t(1;5)(q23;q33) is a rare genetic anomaly that was reported previously in two infants with a myeloproliferative disorder and eosinophilia and in one adult patient with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). A 13-year-old boy with high-risk early pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who presented to our institution carried the t(1;5)(q23;q33). He had an initial blast count of 230 × 109/L and responded poorly to prednisone. Complete remission (CR) was achieved, and he had a bone marrow (BM) relapse 3 months after despite intensive consolidation therapy. He underwent allogeneic BM transplantation (BMT) from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling in early relapse with total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide conditioning. He had a short second CR with a central nervous system (CNS) relapse on day +106 after BMT. Two of the previously reported patients also did not respond to chemotherapy. The t(1;5)(q23;q33) appears to be a rare lineage nonspecific anomaly related to hematologic malignancies that are resistant to current therapy.