Abstract |
The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes for Philadelphia-chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL) patients in remission treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Twenty-three adults were entered onto this study. The 2-year probabilities of relapse and disease-free survival (DFS) were 39.4 +/- 11.6% and 43.5 +/- 10.3% respectively. The presence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was found to be an independent predictive factor affecting lower relapse and DFS. To monitor the BCR-ABL transcript, we also analysed 48 bone marrow samples of eight patients using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The kinetics of the BCR-ABL transcript correlated well with the patients' clinical course. In six patients who were in continuous remission after BMT, a rapid decrease in BCR-ABL copy number to the PCR-negative status was observed after the development of chronic GVHD. Meanwhile, routine bone marrow examination of two patients showed PCR positivity with a 3 or 4-log increase of BCR-ABL copy number and subsequent haematological relapse, which occurred 2 and 4 months later respectively. Although our data should be interpreted cautiously, the presence of chronic GVHD may reduce the risk of relapse in Ph+ ALL. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR appears to be a useful test for BCR-ABL transcript monitoring.
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Authors | Seok Lee, Dong-Wook Kim, Bin Cho, Yoo-Jin Kim, Yoo-Li Kim, Ji-Yeon Hwang, Yoon-Hee Park, Ho-Jin Shin, Chi-Young Park, Woo-Sung Min, Hack-Ki Kim, Chun-Choo Kim |
Journal | British journal of haematology
(Br J Haematol)
Vol. 120
Issue 1
Pg. 145-53
(Jan 2003)
ISSN: 0007-1048 [Print] England |
PMID | 12492591
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Topics |
- Adult
- Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Disease-Free Survival
- Female
- Genes, abl
- Graft vs Host Disease
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm, Residual
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
(genetics, therapy)
- Predictive Value of Tests
- Probability
- Proportional Hazards Models
- Recurrence
- Remission Induction
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Risk Factors
- Transplantation, Homologous
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