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Major molecular response to imatinib in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia expressing a novel form of e8a2 BCR-ABL transcript

Leukemia volume 20, pages 167–168 (2006)Cite this article

A small proportion of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) express unusual types of BCR-ABL transcript. In a recent paper, Demehri et al1 pointed out that a BCR-ABL transcript with an e8a2 junction may be more frequent than other BCR-ABL mRNA variants. Moreover, a review of eight so far described cases suggested that e8a2-positive CML might be more aggressive than CML with typical e13a2 and e14a2 BCR-ABL mRNAs. We report here a novel form of e8a2 BCR-ABL transcript in a CML patient who was treated with imatinib and monitored using real-time RT-PCR.

A 43-year-old man was diagnosed with CML in August 2004. At presentation, the spleen was palpable (3 cm below costal margin). The hematological parameters were the following: white blood cells, 197 × 109/l with a differential count of 7% blasts, 7% promyelocytes, 15% metamyelocytes, 23% myelocytes, 38% neutrophils, 3% eosinophils, 3% basophils, 1% monocytes, 3% lymphocytes; hemoglobin, 10.2 g/dl; platelet count, 91 × 109/l. The prognostic Sokal (1.09) and Hasford (862.6) scores were of intermediate risk. Cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses showed the presence of t(9;22)(q34;q11) and BCR-ABL fusion gene in 100% of bone marrow metaphases.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    A Tchirkov, N Uhrhammer & P Verrelle

  2. Service de Cytogénétique Médicale, CHU – Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    A Tchirkov, B Périssel & C Goumy

  3. UMR 384 INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    J-L Couderc

  4. Service de Médecine Interne, CH, Vichy, France

    A Regnier

  5. Hématologie, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    M Berger

Authors
  1. A Tchirkov
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  2. J-L Couderc
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  3. B Périssel
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  4. C Goumy
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  5. A Regnier
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  6. N Uhrhammer
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  7. P Verrelle
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  8. M Berger
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Correspondence to A Tchirkov.

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Tchirkov, A., Couderc, JL., Périssel, B. et al. Major molecular response to imatinib in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia expressing a novel form of e8a2 BCR-ABL transcript. Leukemia 20, 167–168 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404012

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