title: Early molecular response in chronic myeloid leukemia patients predicts future response status.
abstract: Imatinib is the frontline therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) management. Most of the CML patients achieve major responses, but a proportion (nearly 25-35%) of them develop drug resistance. Molecular monitoring using quantitative real-time PCR at regular intervals according to European LeukemiaNet (ELN) helps in the assessment of long-term outcomes in imatinib-treated CML patients. Eighty-four CML patient samples (42 at diagnosis and 42 at 3-month intervals from the same patients) were analyzed for Bcr-Abl transcript levels. Quantification results revealed that the patients with <10% Bcr-Abl levels at 3 months had higher rates of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and optimal responses compared to patients with >10% Bcr-Abl levels (P < 0.0001). Patients with >10% Bcr-Abl levels were found to have 25.0% of suboptimal response and 3.57% of failure to imatinib at standard dose. Hence, the present study confirms that early molecular monitoring at 3 months after imatinib initiation helps in predicting the concurrent cytogenetic response and treatment optimization in CML patients.
authors.affiliation: Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, Punjagutta, Hyderabad, 500082, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sailaja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagita
authors.forename: Sangeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiwtani
authors.forename: Srihari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uppalapati
authors.forename: Vijay Gandhi
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Linga
authors.forename: Sadasivudu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gundeti
authors.forename: Raghunadharao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Digumarti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001549:Benzamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl