End of therapy minimal residual disease (MRD) measurement in children with ALL does not predict relapse

Publication date: March 2018Source: Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy, Volume 11, Issue 1Author(s): Tahani Hani Sarrawi, Ismael Zayyat, Fareed Barakat, Maha Rezeq, Salam Abu Jmaian, Faris MadanatAbstractMinimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring opened a new era for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and is widely used for risk adapted therapy in the major study groups (Borowitz et al. 2015; Eckert et al., 2015; Peregud-Pogorzelsk et al., 2003). MRD is measured either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or flow cytometry (FCM) (Campana, 2009). Most studies have concentrated on measuring MRD during or at end of induction, and after consolidation therapy, to stratify patients and to predict relapse (Sutton et al., 2009; Schrappe, 2014). Routine morphologic examination of the bone marrow at end of therapy has proven to be of no diagnostic or prognostic value (Hutt et al., 1996; Ito et al., 1993). However MRD positivity at end of therapy was highly predictive of relapse in a European study; MRD was measured using PCR with a sensitivity of 10-4-10-6 (van Dongen et al., 1998).We reviewed the medical records of 251 pediatric patients diagnosed with ALL at KHCC between Jan. 2007 and Dec. 2011 (Table 1). MRD level and CSF examination results at end of therapy were recorded. MRD was measured by FCM employing BD FACSCalibur flow cytometry machine with 4 colors. The antibodies were used CD10, CD19, CD20, and CD34 for precursor B ALL, and CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD1a for T Cell...
Source: Hematology Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research