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Correlation between BCR-ABL expression and tumor burden is restricted to the transition from minor to major cytogenetic response in interferon treated CML patients

“A pre-gleevec study”

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Pathology Oncology Research

Abstract

The interferon treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia has been monitored by investigating the tumour burden as revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and the expression of BCR-ABL chimera determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These parameters were obtained from the peripheral blood of 51 untreated and 104 follow-up patient samples. Poor corrrelation (r =.31) was found between BCR-ABL expression and tumor load in all samples as well as in untreated patients, and this correlation was even less in all follow-up cases (r =.28). Regarding chimera expression five order of magnitude difference existed in the untreated patients and this value dropped to two in those with complete cytogenetic response. Only the major and the complete cytogenetic response groups differed significantly (p.001) in the BCR-ABL expression from that of patients at diagnosis. Among the different cytogenetic response groups the only significant difference (p <.01) in the BCR-ABL expression was obtained between the major and the minor responders. In the individual patients not only correlated changes of residual tumour mass and chimera expression, but mainly independent changes of these two parameters were observed. This indicates that the BCR-ABL expression and the tumor burden are largely independent variables.

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Abbreviations

Bcr:

breakpoint cluster region

bcr-abl:

chimera of bcr and abl gene

BMT:

bone marrow transplantation

CCA:

conventional cytogenetic analysis

cDNA:

copy DNA

CML:

chronic myeloid leukemia

FISH:

fluorescence in situ hybridization

IFN:

interferon

IPC:

interphase cytogenetics

M-bcr:

major bcr

MMLV-RT:

Maloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

Ph:

Philadelphia chromosome

Q-PCR:

quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

RT:

reverse transcription

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, University of Pécs, 12 Szigeti Str, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary

    László Kereskai, János A. Vass, Maria Kneif & László Pajor

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  1. László Kereskai
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  2. János A. Vass
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  3. Maria Kneif
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  4. László Pajor
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Correspondence to László Pajor.

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Kereskai, L., Vass, J.A., Kneif, M. et al. Correlation between BCR-ABL expression and tumor burden is restricted to the transition from minor to major cytogenetic response in interferon treated CML patients. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 9, 174–179 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03033733

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03033733

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