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Development of a quantitative-PCR method for specific FLT3/ITD monitoring in acute myeloid leukemia

Leukemia volume 18, pages 1441–1444 (2004)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

Although most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will obtain a complete remission (CR), the majority will eventually relapse and die from their disease. Early detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) would offer the possibility of implementing salvage therapies prior to overt clinical relapse.1 So far, PCR assays for MRD in AML patients have mainly amplified unique genetic sequences created by any one of the three common translocations: t(8;21), t(15;17), and inv(16).2 However, only about 25% of AML patients will have one of these translocations,1, 2 and moreover in such cases it is necessary to carefully evaluate the different expression of fusion transcripts. More recently, the overexpression of WT1 gene has been considered as a possible MRD marker in AML.1

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Acknowledgements

Fondazione M Tettamanti, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC), Associazione Paolo Belli. We thank Joanna Upton for her review of the language.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Ricerca M Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo, Via Donizetti, Monza, Italy

    C Beretta, G Gaipa, V Rossi, M G Dell'Oro, C Rizzari, A Biondi & G Cazzaniga

  2. Dipartimento di Immunologia, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche ‘Mario Negri’, Milano, Italy

    S Bernasconi

  3. Divisione di Ematologia, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy

    O Spinelli & A Rambaldi

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  1. C Beretta
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Correspondence to G Cazzaniga.

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Beretta, C., Gaipa, G., Rossi, V. et al. Development of a quantitative-PCR method for specific FLT3/ITD monitoring in acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 18, 1441–1444 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403409

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403409

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