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Droplet Digital PCR for Minimal Residual Disease Detection in Mature Lymphoproliferative Disorders

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Digital PCR

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1768))

Abstract

Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection has a powerful prognostic relevance for response evaluation and prediction of relapse in hematological malignancies. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) has become the settled and standardized method for MRD assessment in lymphoid disorders. However, qPCR is a relative quantification approach, since it requires a reference standard curve. Droplet digitalTM PCR (ddPCRTM) allows a reliable absolute tumor burden quantification withdrawing the need for preparing, for each experiment, a tumor-specific standard curve. We have recently shown that ddPCR has a good concordance with qPCR and could be a feasible and reliable tool for MRD monitoring in mature lymphoproliferative disorders. In this chapter we describe the experimental workflow, from the detection of the clonal molecular marker to the MRD monitoring by ddPCR, in patients affected by multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. However, standardization programs among different laboratories are needed in order to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of ddPCR-based MRD results.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge Elisa Genuardi, Barbara Mantoan, Martina Ferrante, Luigia Monitillo, Manuela Gambella, Daniela Barbero, Irene Della Starza, Elena Ciabatti, Nadia Dani, and Marta Varotto for their excellent technical support. Moreover, we are grateful to the Italian Lymphoma Foundation (FIL) that is supporting our ongoing research projects on MCL and FL.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, Hematology Division, University of Torino, Torino, Italy

    Daniela Drandi & Simone Ferrero

  2. Division of Hematology, A.O. SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy

    Marco Ladetto

Authors
  1. Daniela Drandi
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  2. Simone Ferrero
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  3. Marco Ladetto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Drandi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Digital Biology Center, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Pleasanton, California, USA

    George Karlin-Neumann

  2. Digital Biology Center, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Pleasanton, California, USA

    Francisco Bizouarn

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Drandi, D., Ferrero, S., Ladetto, M. (2018). Droplet Digital PCR for Minimal Residual Disease Detection in Mature Lymphoproliferative Disorders. In: Karlin-Neumann, G., Bizouarn, F. (eds) Digital PCR. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1768. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7778-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7778-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7776-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7778-9

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