Molecular analysis of PML‐RARa fusion mRNA detected by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assay in long‐term disease‐free acute promyelocytic leukaemia patients

Abstract
Summary. By use of RT‐PCR of PML/RARa, we evaluated bone marrow aspirates in 10 patients with APL in long‐term disease‐free status after induction chemotherapy and consolidation (median 54 months; range 33‐101 months from complete remission). All patients were in clinical and cytogenetic remission at the time of molecular evaluation (range 32‐96 months from CR). All patients but one were found to be RT‐PCR negative at the molecular level for the expression of PML‐RARa transcript, confirming that the majority of the patients with long‐term survival of APL are characterized by the eradication of the neoplastic clone.