title: Polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospinal fluid cells in suspected leptomeningeal involvement in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: comparison to cytomorphological analysis.
abstract: The leptomeningeal involvement of central nervous system is defined in the most centers by the presence of blast cells in the CSF or the presence of cranial-nerve palsies. Sometimes, cytology does not allow clear distinction between lymphoblasts and normal cells, and auxiliary methods to the precise identification of leukemic cells in cerebrospinal fluid is necessary. We analyzed CSF from 11 consecutive patients, in whom a differential diagnosis of leptomeningeal involvement was made, including 4 patients at diagnosis and 7 patients during the treatment by cytomorphological analysis and PCR and automatic sequencing. Six patients were considered with leptomeningeal involvement by conventional analysis: unequivocal cytomorphological involvement was considered in 5 patients, and in one it was assumed to be due to cranial-nerve palsy, with no blast cells detected in cerebrospinal fluid. In 2 it was considered suspicious and in 3 negative. PCR and sequencing analysis showed involvement in 6 patients; 5 of the 6 patients were considered to have leptomeningeal involvement based on clinical and cytomorphological criteria, and, in one of the patients, it was suspicious. Our data suggest that the use of PCR and sequencing can be useful in confirming CNS leukemia and eliminating other conditions when used together with the cytomorphological analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ribeirao Preto Medicine School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scrideli
authors.forename: Rosane P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: Osvaldo M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Takayanagui
authors.forename: Jose E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.forename: Luiz G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tone
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002648:Child; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000473:pathology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016694:Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics; D019676:Genes, T-Cell Receptor delta / Q000235:genetics; D019675:Genes, T-Cell Receptor gamma / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D008578:Meninges / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains