GST-pi expression in BCR-ABL+ and BCR-ABL- cells from CML patients

Our laboratory has been involved in the study of glutathione-sulfhydryl-transferase-pi (GST-pi) for several years. We have recently observed that during haematopoiesis in BMSC liquid cultures from CML patients who were candidates for transplant GST-pi was expressed in presumably malignant cells during different stages of cellular maturation. To confirm this finding, in the present work we are detecting GST-pi expression by immunofluorescence in BCR-ABL+ and BCR-ABL- cells done by FISH of PB from 30 CML patients during different clinical status: treatment (T), hematological relapse (R), blastic crisis (BC) or post-allotrasplant (PT). As well as in PB from 30 Blood-Bank donors. The results were %BCR-ABL+ GST-pi+ cells: T = 1-67, R = 33-69, BC = 90-100 and PT = 1-2; %BCR-ABL- GST-pi+ cells: T = 2-31, R = 5-18, BC = 0-10 and PT = 2-5; %BCR-ABL- GST-pi- cells: T = 2-97, R = 13-62, BC = 0 and PT = 93-96; %BCR-ABL+ GST-pi- cells: T = 0, R = 0, BC = 0 and PT = 0. GST-pi was not expressed in donor cells. The results obtained confirm our previous observations and suggest that GST-pi expression might be used for the evaluation of the minimal residual disease in CML patients.