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Successful treatment with interferon-α-2b and imatinib in an adult Japanese male with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and minimal residual disease following allogeneic transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 41, pages 827–829 (2008)Cite this article

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is considered the only curative approach in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).1 Although minimal residual disease (MRD) following allo-SCT is associated with a relapse probability exceeding 90%,2 efficacy of imatinib in the setting of MRD has been shown. However, the prognosis of patients on imatinib treatment with continued detection of Bcr-Abl transcripts is extremely poor.3 Here, we present a case of Ph+ ALL with continued detection of Bcr-Abl transcripts following allo-SCT, in which the patient was successfully treated with imatinib and low-dose interferon (IFN)-α-2b.

A 50-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital complaining of general fatigue. His hemoglobin level was 15.3 g per 100 ml, white blood cell count was 44.5 × 109/l (83% blast cells) and platelet count was 217 × 109/l. Blast cells were negative for myeloperoxidase and positive for CD10, CD19, CD34 and TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase). Cytogenetic study revealed a Philadelphia chromosome. A real-time PCR showed amplification of the P-190Bcr-Abl transcript (Bcr-Abl/GAPDH ratio=1.6 × 10−2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, Nagano, Japan

    M Sumi, N Ichikawa, I Shimizu, M Yotsumoto, M Ueno & H Kobayashi

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  1. M Sumi
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  2. N Ichikawa
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  3. I Shimizu
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  4. M Yotsumoto
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  6. H Kobayashi
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Correspondence to M Sumi.

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Sumi, M., Ichikawa, N., Shimizu, I. et al. Successful treatment with interferon-α-2b and imatinib in an adult Japanese male with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and minimal residual disease following allogeneic transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 41, 827–829 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705983

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