title: Study of minimal residual disease in B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood, using clone-specific probes.
abstract: In B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the clonal rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus (IgH), can be used as a molecular marker for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD). Patients in complete remission may still harbor leukemic cells undetectable by conventional methods such as light-microscopic examination, immunophenotyping and cytogenetics. 30 children with B-ALL were screened at diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for their IgH gene repertoire. 7/30 patients were extensively studied using patient-specific oligonucleotide probes derived from the sequence analysis of bone marrow (BM) samples at diagnosis. 210 PCR products from follow-up BM samples corresponding to these 7 patients were hybridized with the appropriate clone-specific probe in order to detect MRD with high sensitivity and specificity. All the patients were in morphological remission during and after therapy. 25/30 patients were PCR positive at diagnosis. 4/7 patients who were examined for MRD had detectable disease in various periods after diagnosis. Molecular signs of residual cells can persist for a long time during and after therapy. Long term follow-up of MRD could determine the period of therapy and predict relapse, indicating therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Botsonis
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Tsangaris
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mikraki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tzortzatou-Stathopoulou
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains