scholarly journals Detection of minimal residual disease in acute promyelocytic leukemia by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay for the PML/RAR-alpha fusion mRNA

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 1689-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
WH Jr Miller ◽  
K Levine ◽  
A DeBlasio ◽  
SR Frankel ◽  
E Dmitrovsky ◽  
...  

The characteristic reciprocal translocation t(15;17) of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) disrupts the PML gene on chromosome 15 and the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) gene on chromosome 17. PML/RAR-alpha fusion mRNAs are then transcribed and can be detected by a newly described reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) assay. Using RT followed by nested PCR amplification for PML/RAR- alpha, we serially evaluated bone marrow aspirates from patients with APL who were treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) for induction, followed by all-trans RA as maintenance or cytotoxic drugs as consolidation. At diagnosis, PML/RAR-alpha mRNA was detected in all patients. After initial therapy with all-trans RA, the RT-PCR assay remained positive after induction of complete remission in 31 of 32 evaluable patients. Maintenance treatment by all-trans RA alone was associated with persistent assay positivity and subsequent clinical relapse in 13 of 13 patients. By contrast, the test became negative in 19 of 20 newly diagnosed patients who received consolidation chemotherapy; the 1 patient who remained positive relapsed at 12 months. Three of the 19 assay-negative patients later converted to positive and subsequently relapsed; the remaining 16 patients have remained RT-PCR negative in sustained first remission, with a median follow-up duration that exceeds 24 months (range, 12+ to 34+ months). Despite induction of complete remission in a high proportion of patients, all-trans RA rarely eradicates molecular evidence of disease in patients with APL; however, subsequent treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy frequently converts the RT-PCR assay for PML/RAR-alpha to negative. Serial negative tests are associated with prolonged disease- free survival, whereas persistence of a positive test after treatment is highly correlated with subsequent relapse. This test identifies patients in remission at high risk for relapse who may benefit from additional antileukemic therapy.

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 1689-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
WH Jr Miller ◽  
K Levine ◽  
A DeBlasio ◽  
SR Frankel ◽  
E Dmitrovsky ◽  
...  

Abstract The characteristic reciprocal translocation t(15;17) of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) disrupts the PML gene on chromosome 15 and the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) gene on chromosome 17. PML/RAR-alpha fusion mRNAs are then transcribed and can be detected by a newly described reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) assay. Using RT followed by nested PCR amplification for PML/RAR- alpha, we serially evaluated bone marrow aspirates from patients with APL who were treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) for induction, followed by all-trans RA as maintenance or cytotoxic drugs as consolidation. At diagnosis, PML/RAR-alpha mRNA was detected in all patients. After initial therapy with all-trans RA, the RT-PCR assay remained positive after induction of complete remission in 31 of 32 evaluable patients. Maintenance treatment by all-trans RA alone was associated with persistent assay positivity and subsequent clinical relapse in 13 of 13 patients. By contrast, the test became negative in 19 of 20 newly diagnosed patients who received consolidation chemotherapy; the 1 patient who remained positive relapsed at 12 months. Three of the 19 assay-negative patients later converted to positive and subsequently relapsed; the remaining 16 patients have remained RT-PCR negative in sustained first remission, with a median follow-up duration that exceeds 24 months (range, 12+ to 34+ months). Despite induction of complete remission in a high proportion of patients, all-trans RA rarely eradicates molecular evidence of disease in patients with APL; however, subsequent treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy frequently converts the RT-PCR assay for PML/RAR-alpha to negative. Serial negative tests are associated with prolonged disease- free survival, whereas persistence of a positive test after treatment is highly correlated with subsequent relapse. This test identifies patients in remission at high risk for relapse who may benefit from additional antileukemic therapy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aml Soliman ◽  
Asmaa Abdel Aal ◽  
Reham Afify ◽  
Noha Ibrahim

AIM: Aim was to detect Brain and Acute Leukemia, Cytoplasmic (BAALC) and ETS-related gene (ERG) expression in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as well as to study their biologic and prognostic impact on the disease outcome and survival.PATIENTS AND METHODS: The current study was carried out on 44 patients with denovo acute myeloid leukemia, as well as 44 age and sex matched controls. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was performed for estimation of BAALC and ERG expression.RESULTS: The current study was carried out on 44 patients with denovo acute myeloid leukemia, as well as 44 age and sex matched controls. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was performed for estimation of BAALC and ERG expression. BAALC was expressed in 36 (81.82%) of AML cases versus 10 (22.72%) of the control group which was highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). While ERG was positive in 39(88.64%) of cases and 8(18.18 %) of controls and that was also highly statistically significant (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Further researches still needed to clarify the role of BAALC and ERG in the pathogenesis of leukemia and their importance as targets for treatment of AML.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 3110-3115 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Castaigne ◽  
N Balitrand ◽  
H de The ◽  
A Dejean ◽  
L Degos ◽  
...  

Abstract The t(15;17) translocation is specifically observed in patients with promyelocytic leukemia (AML3). The chromosomal rearrangement juxtaposes the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) and PML genes, resulting in PML/RAR alpha fusion transcripts. Our previous studies have shown that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification product could be obtained from the cDNA of the NB4 promyelocytic cell line from which the chimaeric PML/RAR alpha was cloned. We report here that in all 14 AML3 patients tested, reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) allows the detection of three specific fusion products. In eight patients, one amplification product was detected corresponding to the previously described abnormal fusion. Five patients displayed a different amplified fragment corresponding to a different fusion point. One other patient always showed a third different-sized product. The different types of fusion transcripts amplified were correlated to the size of the abnormal RAR alpha transcripts detected in these patients by Northern analysis, but did not prove determinant for either the phenotypic features or the retinoic acid responsiveness in AML3 cells in this group of patients. The consistent identification by RT-PCR of the fusion of the PML and RAR alpha genes in AML3 patients suggest that this method will provide a useful tool for the diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease in these patients.


2003 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Ishibashi ◽  
Hiroko Monobe ◽  
Masanobu Shinogami ◽  
Yuka Nomura ◽  
Jun Yano

Because respiratory viruses play an important role in the causation and pathogenesis of acute otitis media (AOM), determining which virus has infected a child is important with respect to vaccines and antiviral drugs. In some instances, this information might be used to prevent the occurrence of AOM. We used a rapid, economical, and sensitive diagnostic system involving a multiplex nested reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect various respiratory viruses in clinical specimens of middle ear fluid (MEF) from children with AOM in our hospital. Multiplex RT-PCR was completed on 40 MEF samples from 28 infants and children less than 6 years old with AOM. Viral RNA was detected in 17 MEF samples (43%). Respiratory syncytial virus type A was present in 12 samples, adenovirus in 3, rhinovirus in 2, and influenza A (H3N2) in 1. The multiplex RT-PCR assay is recommended to clinical laboratories that are considering adoption of a molecular technique for viral diagnosis.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 492-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Biondi ◽  
A Rambaldi ◽  
PP Pandolfi ◽  
V Rossi ◽  
G Giudici ◽  
...  

Abstract The acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) t(15;17) translocation generates a myl/retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) chimeric gene that is transcribed as a fusion myl/RAR-alpha messenger RNA. Using primer sets derived from RAR-alpha and myl cDNAs, we were able to amplify the breakpoint sites of the fusion transcripts of all 35 APL RNA samples by reverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested primer approach of two rounds of amplification. DNA fragments of different size were obtained according to the chromosome 15 breakpoints (intron 3-bcr 3; exon 6-bcr 2; and intron 6-bcr 1). bcr 1 and bcr 3 represent the regions of the myl locus most frequently involved among APL (48.5 and 34.2 of cases, respectively); bcr 3 constitutes 62.5% of cases among M3V as compared with 25.9% of M3 cases. The feasibility of monitoring the APL clone by PCR analysis in five APL patients who received different treatment (chemotherapy, all-trans-retinoic acid or bone marrow transplantation) was evaluated. In five of nine bone marrow samples of patients in complete remission, t(15;17)-positive cells could be detected by PCR analysis. We conclude that PCR amplification of the myl/RAR-alpha junctions represents the easiest and rapid method for diagnosis and monitoring of the APL clone.


2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 496-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli L. Pang ◽  
Bonita Lee ◽  
Nasim Boroumand ◽  
Barbara Leblanc ◽  
Jutta K. Preiksaitis ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  

Objective: To develop and apply a nested reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) for detection of RSV in lower acute respiratory infections. Materials and methods: A nested reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a sequence of the F gene in the RSV genomic RNA, optimized and compared the sensitivity and specificity of this assay with the control samples and then applied this procedure for diagnosing RSV from clinical samples. Results: This nested RT-PCR assay amplified the specific target fragment of RSV RNA and did not amplify any sequence of genomes of the tested common viruses and bacteria causing respiratory infections. The minimal level of detection of this procedure was 102 copies/ml. Results for detection of RSV on 109 samples of throat swabs or nasopharyngeal swabs from children with lower respiratory infections showed that twenty seven patients were positive with RSV ( 24.8%), among which six out of 30 (20%) were with bronchitis, seven out of 26 ( 27%) were with bronchiolitis and fourteen out of 53 (26.4%) were with pneumonia. Conclusion: This nested RT-PCR was found to be useful and reliable for detection of RSV in respiratory infections.


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