[Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)--a novel tool for the molecular diagnosis of neoplasms]

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a novel tool for the in vitro amplification of DNA segments up to several kb. Repeated cycles of DNA synthesis by heat-stable Taq DNA polymerase enables to obtain more than 10(5) copies of the target sequence. Recently its enormous attitude of amplification has been applied for the detection of tumor-specific gene alterations. Examples include the detection of point mutation of RAS oncogenes at codons 12, 13, and 61 and the detection of minimal residual neoplastic cells in patients in complete clinical remission. Among many kinds of tumor specific gene translocations, BCR-ABL gene in t(9;22)(q34;q11) and BCL-2-IgH gene in t(14:18)(q32;q21) have been successfully PCR-amplified around their fused regions. In lymphoid malignancies gene rearrangements of T cell receptor chain or immunoglobulin heavy chain can be used as clonal markers for leukemic cells. PCR technique permits the detection of leukemia DNA at dilution of 10(-4) to 10(-6). Although further investigation of patients' follow-up in large scale is needed, this technique seems to hold promise for the monitoring of residual neoplastic cells.