Molecular monitoring of BCR-ABL transcripts after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia

The monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) through low sensitivity real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of BCR-ABL transcripts allows early detection of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The introduction of more sensitive techniques, such as RT quantitative (Q)-PCR, may lead to an overestimation of the risk of CML relapse. In this study, we reviewed the results of peripheral blood RT Q-PCR in CML patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT from 1983 to 2007. In our laboratory, RT Q-PCR analysis was routinely performed since 2002. Eighty-seven of 189 patients had available RT Q-PCR data; 63 patients had at least 3 RT Q-PCR analyses assessable. Fifty-two of 63 patients (83%) had, at least once, detectable transcript levels, but with an BCR-ABL/ABL ratio <.1% defined as .1% confirmed by the finding of Ph+ cells in bone marrow. No patients with persistent undetectable transcripts relapsed (P = .19). Relapse did not correlate with the number of occurrences of