The prognostic value of early BCR-ABL transcripts level in 251 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia after treatment with imatinib / 中华血液学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prognostic value of early monitoring BCR-ABL transcripts in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after treatment with imatinib, and to provide the information for early assessment of prognosis and treatment options.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 251 patients with CML in chronic phase (CML-CP) who received imatinib as first-line therapy were retrospectively analyzed, the progression-free survival (PFS)and overall survival (OS) between different BCR-ABL transcriptional level at 3 and 6 month after imatinib treatment were compared. Meanwhile, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for disease progression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 3 months after imatinib treatment BCR-ABL transcriptional levels>10%, >1%-≤ 10% and ≤ 1% were found in 92, 94 and 64 patients, their PFS were 53.3%, 71.3% and 86.2%, respectively. The results showed that the PFS of patients with low BCR-ABL transcriptional levels was significantly superior to that with high BCR-ABL transcriptional levels for CML at 3 months treatment (P<0.05). The OS of three group did not reach statistical significance (92.4% vs 96.8% vs 93.8%, P> 0.05). When 182 patients received imatinib treatment at 6 months, 22 patients with BCR-ABL transcriptional levels>10%, 50>1% -≤ 10% and 110 ≤ 1%, their PFS were 27.3% vs 66.0% vs 82.7% (P<0.05), the OS of three groups were 86.4% vs 94.0% vs 100%. There were significant differences among the three groups (P<0.05). Logistic regression confirmed that the level of BCR-ABL transcriptional level at 3 and 6 months after imatinib treatment was independent factor to influence the progress of disease.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is important for the prognosis evaluation of CML patients to monitor BCR-ABL transcriptional level at 3 and 6 months after imatinib treatment.</p>