The karyotypes of 21 patients with chronic B cell leukemia were studied using lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained with the aid of the Epstein-Barr virus. Ten patients had a normal karyotype and eleven patients, an abnormal. There is no single characteristic anomaly, but certain types were more frequent, i.e., 14q+ as a result of a translocation 11;14, trisomy 12, and an isochromosome 17q. Abnormalities in these same three chromosomes have been found in other hematologic malignancies. It is postulated that loci with control cell proliferation are present on chromosomes 12, 14, and 17.

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Our paper reports 3 cases of (11;14) (q13;q32) translocation during two B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias and one B-cell diffuse centrocytic malignant lymphoma. Relating to this subject, we briefly review observations of 11; 14 trans-locations during lymphoid hemopathies.