Standardisation of molecular monitoring for chronic myeloid leukaemia.
Molecular monitoring of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients by real time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RQ-PCR) is of clinical value, but the use of diverse laboratory protocols and units of measurement make it difficult to compare results between and sometimes within centres. This review explores the intrinsic difficulties in standardising the RQ-PCR analysis, summarises the progress that has been made following the proposal for a new International Scale for BCR-ABL measurement and discusses how further improvements are likely to be made.
Cross
Nicholas C P
NC
National Genetics Reference Laboratory (Wessex), Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury SP2 8BJ, UK. ncpc@soton.ac.uk
D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000592:standards*; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis; D012015:Reference Standards; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000592:standards*
D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl