title: [Minimal residual disease detection in acute leukemia patients by flow cytometric assay of cross-lineage antigen expression].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been demonstrated that flow cytometric detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) has a prognostic significance in the treatment of patients with acute leukemia. We investigated the significance of flow cytometric MRD detection for the first time in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the results of MRD detection in morphologically complete remission bone marrow aspirates from 89 patients with newly-diagnosed or relapsed acute leukemia, in which leukemic cells had cross-lineage antigen expression. Patients were grouped based on MRD frequencies: ≥ 1.0%, high MRD; <1.0%, low MRD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven ALL patients consisted of 10 with high and 37 with low MRD levels. Patients with high MRD levels showed a tendency of more frequent relapse than those with low MRD levels (40.0% and 13.5%, respectively) (P=0.08). High MRD group showed a tendency of short relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), although the differences were not statistically significant. Forty-two AML patients consisted of 16 with high and 26 with low MRD levels. There were no correlations between the MRD levels and relapse rate, RFS or OS. AML patients with high MRD levels showed significantly higher rate of unfavorable cytogenetic risk categories and lower rate of favorable risk categories (P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRD detection by flow cytometric assay of cross-lineage antigen expression would be useful in predicting treatment outcome in patients with ALL rather than AML. We expect that the establishment of the standardization of methods, time to test or antibody combination would be achieved through further trials in this country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Uk
authors.initials: YU
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chan-Jeoung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Choong-Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Hyun-Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Seongsoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Mi-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoo-Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Je-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Ho Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D015703:Antigens, CD