title: Development of standardized approaches to reporting of minimal residual disease data using a reporting software package designed within the European LeukemiaNet.
abstract: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for detection of fusion transcripts and overexpressed genes is a promising tool for following minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with hematological malignancies. Its widespread clinical use has to some extent been hampered by differences in data analysis and presentation that complicate multicenter clinical trials. To address these issues, we designed a highly flexible MRD-reporting software program, in which data from various qPCR platforms can be imported, processed, and presented in a uniform manner to generate intuitively understandable reports. The software was tested in a two-step quality control (QC) study; the first step involved eight centers, whose previous experience with the software ranged from none to extensive. The participants received cDNA from consecutive samples from a BCR-ABL+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patient and an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient with both CBFβ-MYH11 and WT1 target genes, they conducted qPCR on their respective hardware platforms and generated a series of reports with pre-defined features. In step two, five centers used the software to report BCR-ABL+ MRD in a harmonized manner, applying their recently obtained CML international scale conversion factors. The QC study demonstrated that this MRD-reporting software is suitable for efficient handling of qPCR data, generation of MRD reports and harmonization of MRD data.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunohaematology, Department of Haematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Århus, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Østergaard
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Nyvold
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kairisto
authors.forename: Y G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobal
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pallisgaard
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ozbek
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schnittger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grubach
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grimwade
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hokland
mesh_terms: D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D003628:Database Management Systems; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D016162:Genes, Wilms Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D058028:Research Report / Q000592:standards*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: C095514:CBFbeta-MYH11 fusion protein; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion