Clinical significance of detecting minimal residual disease in acute leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of flow cytometry (FCM) assay in following up of the minimal residual disease (MRD) used for predicting relapse and guiding chemotherapy. Methods The clinical data of 43 acute leukemia patients diagnosed by MIC were collected in our hospital from 2005 July to 2008 June.Bone marrow aspirates were collected from 43 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia after induction therapy and during constimulation therapy. The cells with leukemia associated with immunophenotype were investigated using FCM, as immunologic target of MRD. Results MRD were detected earlier in predicting the relapse than those of the traditional bone marrow cells morphology assay by an average of 4-6 months. The results of the MRD following up MRD was negative at CR in 26 cases, 6 cases relapse, 20 cases of them were kept negative during following up. MRD was positive in 17 cases at CR, 9 cases of them were relapse. 4 cases after intensified chemotherapy the MRD became negative and kept egative for more than one year. The MRD of the 43 cases at CR were divided into 3 groups, MRD less than 1×10-4 group (A group) MRD between 5×10-3 and 1×10-4 group (B group) and MRD above 5×10-3 group(C group). By chi square test. There was no statistical significance between A group and B group, but there was tatistical significance between B group and C group (P=0.02). Conclusion The application of FCM in detecting MRD has important clinical significance in predicting relapse and guiding chemotherapy.