Detection of the BCR-ABL gene by reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization in a patient with Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is detected in leukaemia cells in approximately 20% of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). When treated with chemotherapy alone, Ph-positive ALL has a poor prognosis, and patients may benefit from bone marrow transplantation in first remission. Here we report a patient with chromosomally normal bone marrow, in all 60 cells analysed, who was found to have the p210-type BCR-ABL chimaeric transcript by RT/PCR. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was labelled cosmid probes for BCR and ABL showed the presence of BCR-ABL juxtaposition on a normal chromosome 22 in leukaemia cell metaphases. We conclude that molecular and cytogenetic methods should be used in conjunction to detect the BCR-ABL gene rearrangement in ALL.
van Rhee
F
F
LRF Centre for Adult Leukaemia, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London.
Kasprzyk
A
A
Jamil
A
A
Dickinson
H
H
Lin
F
F
Cross
N C
NC
Galvin
M C
MC
Goldman
J M
JM
Secker-Walker
L M
LM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl