title: Usefulness of real-time PCR in long-term follow-up of follicular lymphoma patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of quantitative real-time PCR (RQ-PCR) for the monitoring of molecular remission in follicular lymphoma (FL) patients during long-term follow-up. RQ-PCR by the use of TaqMan detection system is a sensitive tool to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) in FL through amplification of the t(14;18) fusion gene during and post-therapy. In most cases the breakpoint region occurs within the major breakpoint region (MBR). Among 75 patients diagnosed with FL, cells harboring the fusion gene BCL2/JH were found in peripheral blood of 31 patients (41%). We further monitored 30 of these patients in a period varying from 6 months to 5 years by RQ-PCR. In our study the level indicating the possibility of the presence of MRD was established at more than five t(14;18)-positive cells in the background of 83,000 normal cells. The results of this work also confirmed that the presence of MRD detected by RQ-PCR is an indication for careful observation of patients because of a higher risk of disease recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tysarowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabisiewicz
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paszkiewicz-Kozik
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulik
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walewski
authors.forename: Janusz A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Siedlecki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic