title: Detection of minimal residual disease in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a powerful predictor of the overall response to treatment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The most reliable and validated methods to assess MRD in ALL are flow cytometric (FCM) analysis of leukemia-associated immunophenotypes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of antigen-receptor gene rearrangements. Results of studies correlating MRD with clinical outcome and technical improvements in FCM technology support the implementation of MRD studies by this method in the clinic. Gene expression profiling of leukemic and normal cells has identified new MRD markers, which can be incorporated to improve the applicability and sensitivity of FCM-based MRD monitoring. The combined use of MRD and emerging information on genetic lesions of ALL offers the possibility of further refining risk-assignment approaches.
authors.affiliation: M. Tettamanti Research Center, Pediatric Clinic University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaipa
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campana
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: RQ-PCR; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; childhood; flow cytometry; minimal residual disease