[Detection of common fusion transcript levels in untreated leukemia patients by real-time quantitative RT-PCR technique].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate levels of common specific fusion transcripts M-bcr-abl, m-bcr-abl, TEL-AML1, AML1-ETO, PML-RAR alpha, CBF beta-MYH11 in untreated leukemia patients.


METHODS
Specific fusion transcript levels were detected by TaqMan-based real-time quantitative RT-PCR technique in a total of 208 samples, including 195 bone marrow samples from 50 M-bcr-abl(+) chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP), 10 M-bcr-abl(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 19 m-bcr-abl(+) ALL, 11 TEL-AML1(+) ALL, 30 AML1-ETO(+) acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 58 PML-RAR alpha(+) acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and 17 CBF beta-MYH11(+) AML patients and 13 peripheral blood samples from 13 M-bcr-abl(+) CML-CP patients. abl was chosen as internal control gene. Fusion transcript level was calculated as fusion transcript copies/abl transcript copies in percentage.


RESULTS
Bone marrow and peripheral blood samples of CML-CP patients had similar M-bcr-abl fusion transcript levels (median 30% vs 35%, P > 0.05). M- and m-bcr-abl (median 64% vs 54%) levels were similar in ALL patients (P > 0.05), M-bcr-abl level was significantly higher in ALL than CML-CP patients(P < 0.001). Median TEL-AML1 level was 228% in ALL patients. Among AML patients, AML1-ETO level was significantly higher than CBF beta-MYH11 and PML-RAR alpha levels (median 388% vs 145%, 388% vs 47%, all P < 0.001), CBF beta-MYH11 level was significantly higher than PML-RAR alpha level (P < 0.001). Fusion transcript levels of L-, V- and S-type PML-RAR alpha were 45%, 44% and 55%, respectively. L-type was significantly lower than S-type (P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Fusion transcript levels in untreated leukemia patients were different and patient-to-patient variations did exist. Detection of fusion transcript levels in untreated leukemia patients not only provides baseline for minimal residual disease monitoring and treatment evaluation but also enable the comparison in inter-laboratory data.
Qin
Ya-zhen
YZ
Institute of Hematology, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 10004, China.
Li
Jin-Lan
JL
Zhu
Hong-Hu
HH
Li
Ling-Di
LD
Chang
Yan
Y
Le
Hao
H
Ruan
Guo-Rui
GR
Liu
Yan-Rong
YR
Huang
Xiao-Jun
XJ
Chen
Shan-Shan
SS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein
D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; C107844:AML1-ETO fusion protein, human; C095514:CBFbeta-MYH11 fusion protein; C102421:TEL-AML1 fusion protein; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein