TY - JOUR
T1 - Retrospective comparison of qualitative and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in diagnosing and monitoring the ALL1-AF4 fusion transcript in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
AU - Elia, I.
AU - Gottardi, E.
AU - Floriddia, G.
AU - Grillo, R.
AU - Ciambelli, F.
AU - Luciani, M.
AU - Chiusolo, P.
AU - Invernizzi, R.
AU - Meloni, G.
AU - Foà, R.
AU - Saglio, G.
AU - Cimino, G.
PY - 2004/11
Y1 - 2004/11
N2 - We compared quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR) to qualitative RT-PCR in determining response to therapy and predicting clinical outcome in 18 retrospectively selected patients with ALL positive for the ALL1-AF4 fusion and with frozen RNA samples collected at diagnosis and during follow-up (96 samples analysed). The ALL1-AF4 junction was detected by qualitative RT-PCR in 18 patients and by Q-RT-PCR in 17 patients (one patient harboured the rare e10-e6 ALL1-AF4 junction, which falls outside of the primer and probe location designed for the Q-RT-PCR). In three of the 12 patients negative to qualitative RT-PCR after induction therapy, a small number of ALL1-AF4 copies was detected by Q-RT-PCR. Thus nine patients were negative and eight positive. Seven of the eight positive patients suffered a relapse, including two of the three patients positive to Q-RT-PCR yet negative to qualitative RT-PCR. Moreover, we found two (5%) discordant results among the 39 follow-up tests of the nine patients who converted to a negative qualitative-quantitative PCR status. The results suggest that qualitative RT-PCR is more appropriate for the routine diagnosis of this genetic alteration. However, Q-RT-PCR is more accurate in assessing the molecular response after induction treatment and could be more useful in clinical decision-making in ALL1-AF4-positive ALL patients.
AB - We compared quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR) to qualitative RT-PCR in determining response to therapy and predicting clinical outcome in 18 retrospectively selected patients with ALL positive for the ALL1-AF4 fusion and with frozen RNA samples collected at diagnosis and during follow-up (96 samples analysed). The ALL1-AF4 junction was detected by qualitative RT-PCR in 18 patients and by Q-RT-PCR in 17 patients (one patient harboured the rare e10-e6 ALL1-AF4 junction, which falls outside of the primer and probe location designed for the Q-RT-PCR). In three of the 12 patients negative to qualitative RT-PCR after induction therapy, a small number of ALL1-AF4 copies was detected by Q-RT-PCR. Thus nine patients were negative and eight positive. Seven of the eight positive patients suffered a relapse, including two of the three patients positive to Q-RT-PCR yet negative to qualitative RT-PCR. Moreover, we found two (5%) discordant results among the 39 follow-up tests of the nine patients who converted to a negative qualitative-quantitative PCR status. The results suggest that qualitative RT-PCR is more appropriate for the routine diagnosis of this genetic alteration. However, Q-RT-PCR is more accurate in assessing the molecular response after induction treatment and could be more useful in clinical decision-making in ALL1-AF4-positive ALL patients.
KW - Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
KW - Monitoring of ALL1/AF4 transcript
KW - Q-RT-PCR
KW - Qualitative RT-PCR
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U2 - 10.1038/sj.leu.2403448
DO - 10.1038/sj.leu.2403448
M3 - Article
C2 - 15318246
AN - SCOPUS:8844275982
VL - 18
SP - 1824
EP - 1830
JO - Leukemia
JF - Leukemia
SN - 0887-6924
IS - 11
ER -