title: Detection of minimal residual disease by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the PML/RAR alpha fusion mRNA: a study in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia following peripheral stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that is characterized by the presence of a PML/RAR alpha fusion gene resulting from t(15;17). Peripheral stem cell transplantation (PSCT) has been used to treat patients with AML. To assess the presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) and the contamination of leukemic cells in peripheral stem cells (PSCs), we examined six patients with APL who were undergoing PSCT, using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis to detect the mRNA of the PML/RAR alpha fusion gene. The fusion gene was expressed in the bone marrow cells during the early phase of a complete remission and in some of the PSCs. Detection of the fusion gene can be useful in monitoring for leukemic cell contamination of PSCs and for predicting a relapse of APL.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yufu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawata
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase