Derivative (1;18)(q10;q10): a recurrent and novel unbalanced translocation involving 1q in myeloid disorders

We report two cases of hematological malignancies, comprising a case of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) that rapidly evolved into acute myeloid leukemia, and a case of myeloproliferative disorder (MPD), in which der(1;18)(q10;q10) was found as the sole acquired karyotypic abnormality. This observation indicates that the unbalanced translocation is a recurrent aberration in myeloid disorders. To the best of our knowledge, centromeric fusion between long arms of chromosomes 1 and 18, leading to a normal chromosome 18 substituted with a der(1;18) chromosome, is novel and has not been described in cancer. Mechanistically, either trisomy 1q or monosomy 18p that results from the translocation may potentially contribute to leukemogenesis. Finally, chromosomes with large constitutive heterochromatin bands such as chromosome 1 may be at risk of centromeric instability and be predisposed to centromeric fusion with other chromosomes.