DETECTION OF MINIMAL RESIDUAL BCR/ABL TRANSCRIPTS BY A MODIFIED POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

  • 1 September 1988
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 72  (3) , 893-897
Abstract
The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome in chronic myelengenous leukemia (CML) involves reciprocal translocation of the bcr gene and the c-abl oncogene. The fused bcr/abl gene is transcribed into two types of chimeric mRNA. By means of a combined method S1 nuclease protection and polymerase chain reaction, we amplified chimeric bcr/abl message can be detected at a dilution of 1:100.000. We also detected residual chimeric bcr/abl transcripts in the remission samples from tow Ph1-positive CML patients. This technique has the potential to identify a subpopulation of Ph1-positive CML patients in remission who are at high risk of relapse.