Chromosome 16 and Bone-Marrow Eosinophilia

Abstract

To the Editor: The discovery by Arthur and Bloomfield¹ of an association between a partial deletion of chromosome 16 and bone-marrow eosinophilia in acute nonlymphocytic leukemia appears to be another example of the growing number of specific human cancers associated with specific chromosomal abnormalities. Subsequently, Le Beau et al.² reported findings suggesting that a pericentric inversion, inv(16)(pl3q22), rather than a deletion, del (16)(q22), may be even more closely associated with the same clinical abnormality.The described deletion suggests loss of a small segment of genetic material (16q22→qter), whereas the inversion suggests an intrachromosomal rearrangement in which nothing is lost or . . .