Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in a patient with a familial t(6;16)(q13;q22) translocation

A 75-year-old man with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia was found to have a constitutional t(6;16)(q13;q22) translocation, as did his healthy daughter. Chromosomal in situ hybridization studies of the daughter's lymphocytes did not indicate translocation-mediated interruption of the metallothionein gene cluster, at 16q22, although this locus has been reported to be involved in the eosinophilic variant of acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Lymphocytes from the daughter and from the patient's brother (who had a normal karyotype), had no increased fragility at 16q22. The findings do not provide evidence for an association between the familial chromosome abnormality and this patient's leukemia.