title: Detection of minimal residual disease state in chronic myelogenous leukemia patients using fluorescence in situ hybridization.
abstract: Detection of minimal residual disease and relapse remain major problems in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In order to disclose the 9;22 Philadelphia translocation, we used a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. BCR and ABL gene fragments were used as probes for the detection of the BCR/ABL fusion product in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells from 11 CML patients in which 5 were post-BMT. The sensitivity and specificity of this approach were compared to conventional cytogenetic and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. FISH demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity (1%) for the detection of the BCR/ABL translocation in these patients. A linear correlation was found between FISH detection of the BCR/ABL fusion product and routine chromosomal analysis (r = 0.995; p < 0.001). Detection of the BCR/ABL signal by FISH was observed in all patients showing a positive PCR signal. A significant reduction in BCR/ABL signal was observed post-transplant (p < 0.001). However, the BCR/ABL translocation was detected in four of five transplanted patients immediately (0.75-2.5 months) following transplant and was found in patients with a low expression of the translocation.
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetics Unit, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amiel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yarkoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Or
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lorberboum-Galski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fejgin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014178:Translocation, Genetic