[The clinical significance of minimal residual disease of acute leukemia with t(4;11) (q21;q23)].
Hybrid fusion genes are specific tumor markers of several leukemic subtypes. The use of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to amplify chimeric cDNAs allows sensitive detection of the leukemia clone. The clinical relevance of minimal residual disease (MRD) remains controversial. In this report, an infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia with t(4;11) (q21; q23) was analyzed after each treatment for the presence of MRD by RT-PCR amplification of the MLL/LTG4 fusion gene which became available recently. The patient soon achieved a hematological CR, after induction therapy, and underwent autologous BMT following consolidation chemotherapy for 9 months. However, he relapsed three months after the BMT. MRD was always detectable during his clinical course. These findings suggest that the detection of MRD of the MLL/LTG4 fusion transcript is a useful tool for monitoring MRD and selecting treatment.
Okamura
T
T
Osaka Medical Center.
Park
Y D
YD
Inoue
M
M
Yasui
M
M
Ueno
M
M
Endo
C
C
Yagi
K
K
Kawa
K
K
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D002894:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic