Human disease characterization: real-time quantitative PCR analysis of gene expression

Real-time quantitative PCR is the measurement of a fluorescent signal generated and measured during PCR as a consequence of amplicon synthesis. When used as reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR), real-time quantitative PCR has proved to be useful in accurately measuring expression levels of specific gene transcripts. When applied to questions of minimal residual disease, the technique has evolved from generically detecting the presence of disease cells in individuals, such as the AML1-ETO fusion transcript, to the identification of a specific gene, such as BCL-6, which is prognostic for determining the therapeutic outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.