Possible correlation between fusion pattern of BCR/ABL mRNA and clinical response to alpha-interferon in chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Twenty six patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treated with IFN-alpha were classified on the basis of the fusion pattern of BCR/ABL chimeric mRNA determined by a reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The relationship between the fusion pattern of BCR/ABL mRNA and the clinical outcome was also analysed. Twelve patients showed M-bcr exon 3/ABL exon 2 (B3/A2) chimeric mRNA and nine had M-bcr exon 2/ABL exon 2 (B2/A2) mRNA. Eleven of the 12 patients with B3/A2 achieved complete hematological response with IFN-alpha therapy, as did three of the nine patients with B2/A2. The mean duration to blastic crisis was significantly longer in the B3/A2 patients (mean 52.4 months) than in the B2/A2 patients (mean 26.2 months) (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the fusion pattern of BCR/ABL mRNA may affect the therapeutic response to IFN-alpha and clinical outcome in CML patients.
Inoue
T
T
Department of Hematology-Oncology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Tojo
A
A
Tsuchimoto
D
D
Okamoto
S
S
Ogura
H
H
Tani
K
K
Ozawa
K
K
Shibuya
M
M
Asano
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001752:Blast Crisis / Q000473:pathology; D002873:Chromosome Fragility; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics*; D016313:Genes, abl; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015466:Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic-Phase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl