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Longitudinal qPCR monitoring of nucleophosmin 1 mutations after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to predict AML relapse

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 51, pages 466–469 (2016)Cite this article

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AML is characterized by a great variability in genetic profile, sensitivity to chemotherapy and prognosis. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents the best curative option for high-risk patients, but relapses frequently occur, and can be observed even after several months of apparent morphological remission. New therapeutic options are becoming available, but results are unsatisfactory when they are enacted in overt hematological recurrence. In this context, the early detection of an expanding leukemic clone can predict a future clinical relapse, and prompt preemptive therapies.1

Unfortunately, unlike other hematologic malignancies, AML lacks universal disease-specific genetic markers that can be tracked for identification of minimal residual disease, and early relapse recognition has often to rely on leukemia-associated immunophenotype, on the selective overexpression of transcripts in leukemic blasts, or on hematopoietic chimerism as a surrogate marker of reappearance of pathological hematopoiesis. Still, the constant progress in our knowledge of the genetic landscape of AML is offering new valuable markers for MRD monitoring.2

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (RF-2011-02351998), by the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (Start-Up Grant #14162), and by the Conquer Cancer Foundation (2014 Young Investigator Award).

Author contributions

EX, FC and LV designed the study and analyzed the data. CT, AC and BM performed the experiments. EX, ES, RG, CM, MGC, MTLS, SM, CC, JP, MB, FC and LV contributed to patient clinical care and data collection. EX, FC and LV wrote the manuscript. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.

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The sponsors of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy

    E Xue, E Sala, R Greco, C Messina, M G Carrabba, M T Lupo Stanghellini, S Marktel, C Corti, J Peccatori, M Bernardi, F Ciceri & L Vago

  2. Unit of Immunogenetics, Leukemia Genomics and Immunobiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy

    E Xue, B Mazzi & L Vago

  3. Molecular Hematology Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy

    C Tresoldi & A Crippa

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  1. E Xue
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F Ciceri.

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Xue, E., Tresoldi, C., Sala, E. et al. Longitudinal qPCR monitoring of nucleophosmin 1 mutations after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to predict AML relapse. Bone Marrow Transplant 51, 466–469 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2015.296

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