title: Detection of t(8;21) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in patients in remission of acute myeloid leukaemia type M2 after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: Seven patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) type M2 and t(8;21), treated with intensive chemotherapy followed in two cases by allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT), were tested for the presence of transcripts of the characteristic chimaeric gene AML1/ETO by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at serial intervals during remission. Six patients, including both BMT patients, demonstrated persistence of t(8;21), one being consistently negative in peripheral blood but bone marrow positive. Bone marrow may, therefore, be more reliable than peripheral blood for detecting residual t(8;21) cells. Our results show persistence of t(8;21) cells in AML-M2 patients following chemotherapy or BMT, some of whom were in long-term remission.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Haematology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, U.K.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobal
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000175:diagnosis; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm