[Detection of minimal residual disease in childhood hematological malignancies and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
Exploring the detection of minimal residual malignant cells in bone marrow from children with hematological malignancies to predict the prognosis.


METHODS
Seventy-five patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or stage IV neuroblastoma were studied. Complete remission was maintained for over 3 months before the detection. Minimal residual disease was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for IgH and TcRgamma rearrangements in lymphoid tumors by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for neuroblastoma patients.


RESULTS
Thirty five patients were positive for minimal residual disease, and 21 of them (60%) relapsed 3 - 40 months later, while only 7 (17%) negative patients relapsed (chi(2) = 12.59, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Minimal residual disease detection in bone marrow by PCR might predict prognosis in some childhood hematological malignancies.
Tang
S
S
Lu
S
S
Zhang
X
X
Ran
C
C
Huang
D
D
Wei
X
X
D000293:Adolescent; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D012008:Recurrence