Early and long term follow-up with minisatellite probes in bone marrow transplanted patients

Twenty-five patients who received bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL), acute leukemia and severe aplastic anemia were studied before and after BMT in order to document and characterize the events following transplantation. DNA analysis was performed using minisatellite probes, which give rise to extremely polymorphic Southern blot band patterns specific to each individual and are regarded as "genetic fingerprint." Sensitivity studies using a mixture of donor and recipient cells could distinguish the presence of 1% of cells from one individual. Blood specimens were obtained from donor recipient before BMT and at days 10, 30, 90, and 270 after BMT. Karyotype analysis was also performed in CGL patients at the same time of DNA analysis. Engraftment was identified by DNA analysis as early as 10 days posttransplant and correlated with cytogenetic findings. This confirmed that a single hybridization filter is informative in 100% of patients and is easily applicable for early and long term studies of chimerism in BM transplanted patients.