Non-radioactive detection of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor gene rearrangement in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Rearrangements of the heavy chain immunoglobulin gene and T cell receptor beta gene were investigated in 25 patients suffering from precursor B cell acute leukaemia and six patients suffering from T cell acute leukaemia using biotinylated DNA probes. All precursor B acute leukaemia patients had IgH gene rearrangements and 63% of those studied also had TCR beta gene rearrangements. All T cell acute leukaemia patients had TCR beta gene rearrangements and germline IgH configuration. Dilution experiments indicated that DNA from leukaemic cells representing 1-2% of a tested sample could be detected using this technique which compares favourably to radioactive DNA probes.
Martin
G
G
Haematology Department, T.C.D. Medical School, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Lawlor
E
E
D001710:Biotin; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*
D015342:DNA Probes; D001710:Biotin