Multidimensional flow cytometry for detection of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia.
The term minimal residual disease (MRD) describes the situation in which, after chemotherapy for acute leukemia (AL), a morphologically normal bone marrow (BM) can still harbor a relevant amount of residual malignant cells. Several techniques are now amenable to investigate MRD, and all together they have designated a new era in which a re-definition of the current criteria of complete remission (CR) is required. Depending upon the measured level of MRD we can distinguish a variety of clinical situations ranging from a potentially cured disease to short-term remission. In the context of this spectrum of conditions there would be room for different therapeutic strategies ranging from no further therapy to pre-emptive therapy to treat early relapses (immunologic and/or molecular relapses). This review will focus on the state of art of MRD detection in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using multidimensional flow cytometry (MFC), and will cover the laboratory and clinical aspects of this approach.
Venditti
Adriano
A
Cattedra di Ematologia, Universitá di Roma "Tor Vergata", Divisione di Ematologia, Osp. S. Eugenio, P.le dell'Umanesimo 10-00144, Rome, Italy. adriano.venditti@uniroma2.it
Maurillo
Luca
L
Buccisano
Francesco
F
Tamburini
Anna
A
Del Poeta
Giovanni
G
Del Principe
Maria Ilaria
MI
Panetta
Paola
P
Consalvo
Maria Irno
MI
Mazzone
Carla
C
Tendas
Andrea
A
Trawinska
Margherita
M
Forte
Vittorio
V
Amadori
Sergio
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination / Q000379:methods*; D019090:Case Management; D002648:Child; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D012074:Remission Induction