title: Quantitation of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells carrying t(14;18) in a patient before and after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A competitive PCR method was developed, enabling accurate quantitation of residual lymphoma cells carrying the t(14;18) in blood and bone marrow samples of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients during treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient with residual lymphoma cells received an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Since BMT, the patient has been in continuing clinical complete remission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the competitive PCR and two-step PCR method, we were able to demonstrate a gradual decline in the number of lymphoma cells within consecutive patient blood and bone marrow samples after BMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The competitive PCR is a suitable method for the detection of minimal residual disease. Further research might reveal the clinical relevance of data obtained by this method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital St. Radboud Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Meijerink
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Goverde
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Smetsers
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Raemaekers
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bogman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Witte
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Mensink
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002452:Cell Count; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous