MYC rearrangement, a characteristic cytogenetic abnormality of Burkitt lymphoma and several subsets of other mature B-cell neoplasms, typically involves an immunoglobulin gene partner. Herein, we describe a case of precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia harboring a MYC rearrangement with a novel non-immunoglobulin partner locus. The patient was a 4-yr-old Korean boy with ALL of the precursor B-cell immunophenotype. At the time of the second relapse, cytogenetic analyses revealed t(4;8)(q31.1;q24.1) as a clonal evolution. The MYC rearrangement was confirmed by FISH analysis. He died 3 months after the second relapse without achieving complete remission. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of MYC rearrangement with a non-immunoglobulin partner in precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background and purpose

At least 100 Ryanodine receptor type 1 (RYR1) mutations associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH) and central core disease (CCD) have been identified, but 2 RYR1 mutations accompanying multiminicore myopathy in an MH and/or CCD family have been reported only rarely.

Methods

Fifty-three members of a large MH family were investigated with clinical, histopathologic, RYR1 mutation, and haplotyping studies. Blood creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin levels were also measured where possible.

Results

Sequencing of the entire RYR1 coding region identified a double RYR1 mutation (R2435H and A4295V) in MH/CCD regions 2 and 3. Haplotyping analysis revealed that the two missense heterozygous mutations (c.7304G>A and c.12891C>T) were always present on a common haplotype allele, and were closely cosegregated with histological multiminicores and elevated serum CK. All the subjects with the double mutation showed elevated serum CK and myoglobin, and the obtained muscle biopsy samples showed multiminicore lesions, but only two family members presented a late-onset, slowly progressive myopathy.

Conclusions

We found multiminicore myopathy with clinical and histological variability in a large MH family with an unusual double RYR1 mutation, including a typical CCD-causing known mutant. These results suggest that multiminicore lesions are associated with the presence of more than two mutations in the RYR1 gene.

We present a case of two siblings with different chromosome 21 abnormalities that are both de novo [r(21)/i(21p13) mosaicism and rob(14;21)]. Molecular studies using polymorphic markers have shown that these two aberrations had a common maternal origin. However, the parents were cytogenetically and phenotypically normal. This unusual association has not been reported and is considered to be a unique case that should be addressed.