Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1997, 183 (4)

Case Report

Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Cerebro-Spinal Fluid of a Patient with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia with t(16; 21)(p11; q22) Translocation by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction

HIDEO HARIGAE, MASARU KOBAYASHI,1 AKIO MIHARA and NORIMICHI WATANABE

Department of Internal Medicine, Suifu Hospital, Mito 310, and 1SRL Inc., Hachioji 192

  • We describe a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with t(16; 21)(p11; q22) translocation, whose minimal residual disease (MRD) both in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and bone marrow (BM) was monitored by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A TLS/ERG-FUS fusion transcript, which is known to be expressed by t(16; 21)(p11; q22) translocation, was detectable by RT-PCR both in BM and CSF cells in the first complete remission, suggesting the existence of MRD. The disease relapsed 6 months after its onset and allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) was undergone. A TLS/ERG-FUS fusion transcript became rapidly below the detection level after PBSCT. These findings suggest the usefulness of RT-PCR for the detection of MRD in CSF, which contains a limited number of cells, as well as BM.
    Key words--- acute myelogenous leukemia; t(16 ;21)(p11; q22) translocation; TLS/FUS-ERG fusion transcript; allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation; minimal residual disease
    © 1997 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1997, 183, 297-302
    Address for reprints: Hideo Harigae, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Suifu Hospital, 2-1-40 Ohmachi, Mito 310, Ibaraki, Japan.

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