Clinical significance of t(14; 18)-positive cells in the circulation of patients with stage III or IV follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during first remission.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis as a method for the detection of circulating lymphoma cells in patients with stage III and IV t(14; 18)-positive follicular Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in first remission in a longitudinal prospective study.


METHODS
Peripheral blood or bone marrow from eight patients with stage III and IV t(14; 18)-positive NHL was studied using PCR to detect the presence of t(14; 18)-positive cells in the circulation at different times during first remission.


RESULTS
In four of six patients with no clinical evidence of disease (NCED), t(14; 18)-positive cells were detectable in the circulation. In one of two patients with clinical evidence of disease (CED), no t(14; 18)-positive cells were found at the four different occasions tested during first remission. First-remission duration ranged from 17 to 81+ months. The duration from the first PCR determination in remission until first relapse or the end of the observation period ranged from 10 to 37+ months.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with t(14; 18)-positive follicular NHL stage III and IV, treated with conventional remission induction therapy, the presence or absence of t(14; 18)-positive cells in the circulation shows no obvious correlation with the clinical remission status and the remission duration.
Department of Molecular Biology, Dr Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
A C
AC
Lambrechts
P E
PE
Hupkes
L C
LC
Dorssers
M B
MB
van't Veer
D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*