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Standardized MRD quantification in European ALL trials: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on MRD assessment in Kiel, Germany, 18–20 September 2008

Leukemia volume 24, pages 521–535 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) has acquired a prominent position in European treatment protocols for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), on the basis of its high prognostic value for predicting outcome and the possibilities for implementation of MRD diagnostics in treatment stratification. Therefore, there is an increasing need for standardization of methodologies and harmonization of terminology. For this purpose, a panel of representatives of all major European study groups on childhood and adult ALL and of international experts on PCR- and flow cytometry-based MRD assessment was built in the context of the Second International Symposium on MRD assessment in Kiel, Germany, 18–20 September 2008. The panel summarized the current state of MRD diagnostics in ALL and developed recommendations on the minimal technical requirements that should be fulfilled before implementation of MRD diagnostics into clinical trials. Finally, a common terminology for a standard description of MRD response and monitoring was established defining the terms ‘complete MRD response’, ‘MRD persistence’ and ‘MRD reappearance’. The proposed MRD terminology may allow a refined and standardized assessment of response to treatment in adult and childhood ALL, and provides a sound basis for the comparison of MRD results between different treatment protocols.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by the European LeukemiaNet.

Author information

Author notes

  1. M Brüggemann, A Schrauder and T Raff: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    M Brüggemann, T Raff & M Kneba

  2. Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    A Schrauder & M Schrappe

  3. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medizinische Klinik II, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

    H Pfeifer, O G Ottmann & N Gökbuget

  4. Department of Hemato-Oncology, St Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria

    M Dworzak

  5. Department of Hematology, AP-HP GH Necker-Enfants Malades and Paris Déscartes University, Paris, France

    V Asnafi & E A Macintyre

  6. Department of Pediatric Hematology, University Hospital of St Louis, Paris, France

    A Baruchel

  7. Unità Strutturale Complessa di Ematologia, Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo, Italy

    R Bassan, A Rambaldi & O Spinelli

  8. Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

    Y Benoit

  9. Pediatric Clinic, University of Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale Nuovo San Gerardo, and Childhood Leukemia Research Center M. Tettamanti, Monza, Italy

    A Biondi

  10. Department of Genetics, CHU Robert-Debré, Paris, France

    H Cavé

  11. Department of Hematology, CHU Saint-Louis, Paris, France

    H Dombret

  12. Department of Hematology, University College London, London, UK

    A K Fielding

  13. Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Division of Hematology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    R Foà

  14. Department of Hematology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK

    A H Goldstone & A von Stackelberg

  15. Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London, UK

    N Goulden

  16. Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, University of Berlin (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Berlin, Germany

    G Henze

  17. Onkologikum, Frankfurt, Germany

    D Hoelzer

  18. Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Clinic for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany,

    G E Janka-Schaub

  19. Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, Erasmus MC—Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    R Pieters

  20. Haematology Department, Institut Català d’Oncologia-Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain

    J-M Ribera

  21. Institute of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Paediatrics, University of Copenhagen, and the Paediatric Clinics, the University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    K Schmiegelow

  22. Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, CLIP, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic

    J Stary

  23. Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    J J M van Dongen

Authors
  1. M Brüggemann
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  2. A Schrauder
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  3. T Raff
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  4. H Pfeifer
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  5. M Dworzak
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  6. O G Ottmann
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  7. V Asnafi
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  8. A Baruchel
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  9. R Bassan
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  10. Y Benoit
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  11. A Biondi
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  12. H Cavé
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  13. H Dombret
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  14. A K Fielding
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  15. R Foà
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  16. N Gökbuget
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  17. A H Goldstone
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  18. N Goulden
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  19. G Henze
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  20. D Hoelzer
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  21. G E Janka-Schaub
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  22. E A Macintyre
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  23. R Pieters
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  24. A Rambaldi
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  25. J-M Ribera
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  26. K Schmiegelow
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  27. O Spinelli
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  28. J Stary
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  29. A von Stackelberg
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  30. M Kneba
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  31. M Schrappe
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  32. J J M van Dongen
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Consortia

also on behalf of the European Working Group for Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (EWALL) and the International Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster Study Group (I-BFM-SG)

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M Brüggemann.

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Brüggemann, M., Schrauder, A., Raff, T. et al. Standardized MRD quantification in European ALL trials: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on MRD assessment in Kiel, Germany, 18–20 September 2008. Leukemia 24, 521–535 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2009.268

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2009.268

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