scholarly journals Detection of two alternative bcr/abl mRNA junctions and minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia by polymerase chain reaction

Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 2165-2170
Author(s):  
MS Lee ◽  
A LeMaistre ◽  
HM Kantarjian ◽  
M Talpaz ◽  
EJ Freireich ◽  
...  

The Philadelphia (Ph′) chromosome in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) results in fusion of the bcr gene and c-abl oncogene, which transcribes into two types of chimeric bcr/abl mRNAs: the L-6 junction and the K-28 junction. By means of a highly sensitive assay, combination of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), we analyzed 38 blood samples obtained from 31 patients with Ph′-positive CML and two patients with Ph′-negative bcr rearranged CML. Among the 21 samples obtained in chronic phase, eight patients had the L-6 mRNA, 11 had the K-28 mRNA, and two had both the L-6 and K-28 mRNAs. Among the nine samples obtained in blast crisis, four contained the L-6 mRNA, two contained the K-28 mRNA, and three contained both the K-28 and L-6 mRNAs. This finding supports the concept of alternative splicing of bcr/abl mRNAs transcribed in Ph′-positive CML. However, it appears to be a rare event. Of the eight samples obtained from eight patients who had achieved complete cytogenetic remission and negativity for bcr region rearrangement for 6 months to 3 years after recombinant alpha interferon (r alpha-IFN) therapy, all of them showed evidence of minimal residual Ph′-positive clones as detected by the RT/PCR assay. This finding suggests that interferon therapy suppresses the proliferation of the Ph′-positive clones, but it does not completely eradicate the Ph′-positive stem cells.

Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 2165-2170 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Lee ◽  
A LeMaistre ◽  
HM Kantarjian ◽  
M Talpaz ◽  
EJ Freireich ◽  
...  

Abstract The Philadelphia (Ph′) chromosome in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) results in fusion of the bcr gene and c-abl oncogene, which transcribes into two types of chimeric bcr/abl mRNAs: the L-6 junction and the K-28 junction. By means of a highly sensitive assay, combination of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), we analyzed 38 blood samples obtained from 31 patients with Ph′-positive CML and two patients with Ph′-negative bcr rearranged CML. Among the 21 samples obtained in chronic phase, eight patients had the L-6 mRNA, 11 had the K-28 mRNA, and two had both the L-6 and K-28 mRNAs. Among the nine samples obtained in blast crisis, four contained the L-6 mRNA, two contained the K-28 mRNA, and three contained both the K-28 and L-6 mRNAs. This finding supports the concept of alternative splicing of bcr/abl mRNAs transcribed in Ph′-positive CML. However, it appears to be a rare event. Of the eight samples obtained from eight patients who had achieved complete cytogenetic remission and negativity for bcr region rearrangement for 6 months to 3 years after recombinant alpha interferon (r alpha-IFN) therapy, all of them showed evidence of minimal residual Ph′-positive clones as detected by the RT/PCR assay. This finding suggests that interferon therapy suppresses the proliferation of the Ph′-positive clones, but it does not completely eradicate the Ph′-positive stem cells.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1526-1531 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Kurzrock ◽  
Z Estrov ◽  
H Kantarjian ◽  
M Talpaz

PURPOSE Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) induces complete cytogenetic remission in a significant minority of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). To date, use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has suggested that residual disease is present in virtually all these individuals at median follow-up intervals of approximately 1 year after initial achievement of cytogenetic remission. We sought to determine the PCR status of CML patients with very long continuous complete cytogenetic remissions on IFN-alpha. PATIENTS AND METHODS Blood and/or bone marrow samples from 18 CML patients maintained in continuous cytogenetic remission by IFN-alpha for at least 1 year were studied for residual BCR-ABL mRNA by single-step reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR methodology, followed by detection of the amplification product by the hybridization protection assay (HPA). RESULTS Ten of 18 patients showed RT-PCR negativity for BCR-ABL. The median duration of continuous complete cytogenetic remission at the time of sample collection for the negative patients was 42 months versus 21 months for the patients whose tests remained positive (P = .05). CONCLUSION Very long-term follow-up of IFN-alpha-treated CML patients in continuous complete cytogenetic remission is associated with a decrease in the number of BCR-ABL transcripts to a level below that detectable by the RT-PCR assay used in this study.


Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 882-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Roth ◽  
JH Antin ◽  
EL Bingham ◽  
D Ginsburg

Abstract Sixteen patients treated by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) were evaluated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for bcr/abl-specific RNA transcripts at various time points after BMT. In reconstitution experiments, one CML cell per million normal mononuclear cells could be detected by direct agarose gel visualization of a bcr/abl-specific band following PCR. Bcr/abl message was found in ten out of 16 patients post-BMT. PCR- positive bcr/abl was present only transiently in three patients and correlated with relapse in three. One patient died in clinical remission, while two patients remain in remission despite persistence of bcr/abl-positive abl-positive cells at 180 days. Long-term follow-up of bcr/abl-positive patients in clinical remission may provide insight into the fate or residual Ph+ cells after BMT. This approach may aid in the identification of high-risk patients likely to relapse post-BMT.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1920-1923 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Lee ◽  
H Kantarjian ◽  
M Talpaz ◽  
EJ Freireich ◽  
A Deisseroth ◽  
...  

Abstract The significance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the detection of minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph′)- positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) following interferon therapy was investigated. Forty remission blood samples obtained at various remission time points from 29 patients in complete cytogenetic remission were analyzed. All 40 samples showed minimal residual Ph′- positive cells by PCR: 22 in remission for less than 12 months, 12 in remission for 12 to 24 months, four in remission for 25 to 60 months, and two in remission for more than 60 months. Of these 29 patients, seven relapsed at 4, 6, 9, 14, 17, 19, and 50 months after their first PCR-positivity during remission. One developed extramedullary myelopoiesis at 49 months after PCR-positivity. The remaining 21 patients remained in complete hematologic and cytogenetic remission with median follow-up of 13 months (range, 4 to 36 months) after PCR analysis. These findings indicate that PCR-positivity is not associated with immediate disease recurrence. Long-term follow-up is essential to determine the relevance of PCR-positivity, since late recurrence is observed in our study.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 1549-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Hochhaus ◽  
F Lin ◽  
A Reiter ◽  
H Skladny ◽  
PJ Mason ◽  
...  

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) induces cytogenetic responses of variable degree in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). We sought to establish the relationship between BCR-ABL transcript numbers measured by competitive 2-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cytogenetic status in CML patients treated with IFN-alpha. A total of 250 peripheral blood and 55 bone marrow samples with 127 Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) and 6 Ph-/BCR-ABL+ CML patients were investigated. Twenty-one patients were studied at diagnosis with IFN-alpha, 24 had a complete cytogenetic response, 21 a partial response, 12 a minor response, 26 no response, and 23 were unknown. Using nested RT-PCR, all 305 samples were positive for BCR-ABL transcripts. To standardize results for variability in RNA and cDNA quantity and quality, we quantified total ABL transcripts in each sample as internal control. The validity of ABL as internal control was shown by comparison with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase transcript levels in 145 samples. The median BCR-ABL transcript numbers (and BCR- ABL/ABL ratios expressed as percentages) were 400/micrograms RNA (O.04%) in complete responders, 20,500/micrograms RNA (7.1%) in partial responders, 170,000/micrograms RNA (21.0%) in minor responders, and 430,000/micrograms RNA (58.7%) in nonresponders (P < .001). The cytogenetic results correlated with the BCR-ABL transcript numbers (r = .82; P < .001) and BCR-ABL/ABL ratios (r = .84; P < .001). Grouping the ratios BCR-ABL/ABL as less than 2%, 2% to 14% and greater than 14% to compare with cytogenetic complete response, partial response, and minor/nonresponse, the concordance between the two methods was 82% (chi2 P< .0001). We conclude that quantitative PCR with internal controls is as sensitive and reliable method for monitoring patients on IFN-alpha and reduces the need for repeated marrow investigations.


Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 882-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Roth ◽  
JH Antin ◽  
EL Bingham ◽  
D Ginsburg

Sixteen patients treated by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) were evaluated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for bcr/abl-specific RNA transcripts at various time points after BMT. In reconstitution experiments, one CML cell per million normal mononuclear cells could be detected by direct agarose gel visualization of a bcr/abl-specific band following PCR. Bcr/abl message was found in ten out of 16 patients post-BMT. PCR- positive bcr/abl was present only transiently in three patients and correlated with relapse in three. One patient died in clinical remission, while two patients remain in remission despite persistence of bcr/abl-positive abl-positive cells at 180 days. Long-term follow-up of bcr/abl-positive patients in clinical remission may provide insight into the fate or residual Ph+ cells after BMT. This approach may aid in the identification of high-risk patients likely to relapse post-BMT.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1920-1923 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Lee ◽  
H Kantarjian ◽  
M Talpaz ◽  
EJ Freireich ◽  
A Deisseroth ◽  
...  

The significance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the detection of minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph′)- positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) following interferon therapy was investigated. Forty remission blood samples obtained at various remission time points from 29 patients in complete cytogenetic remission were analyzed. All 40 samples showed minimal residual Ph′- positive cells by PCR: 22 in remission for less than 12 months, 12 in remission for 12 to 24 months, four in remission for 25 to 60 months, and two in remission for more than 60 months. Of these 29 patients, seven relapsed at 4, 6, 9, 14, 17, 19, and 50 months after their first PCR-positivity during remission. One developed extramedullary myelopoiesis at 49 months after PCR-positivity. The remaining 21 patients remained in complete hematologic and cytogenetic remission with median follow-up of 13 months (range, 4 to 36 months) after PCR analysis. These findings indicate that PCR-positivity is not associated with immediate disease recurrence. Long-term follow-up is essential to determine the relevance of PCR-positivity, since late recurrence is observed in our study.


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