Minimal Residual Disease

Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) is currently the focus of much research interest. The ability to monitor MRD allows early stratification of patients on the basis of their response to therapy and the early treatment of relapsed disease. Flow cytometry and PCR-based amplification of disease-specific genes are among the techniques employed. Research in this area has been conducted between St James's Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin. For more information visit the Institute of Molecular Medicine.

Principle Investigators

Principal Investigators	Email	Telephone
Dr Jacqueline Ryan	ryanja@tcd.ie	+353 1 896 3275
Dr Paul Browne	pbrowne@stjames.ie	+353 1 416 2166
Dr Owen Smith	owen.smith@olhsc.ie
Dr Aengus O'Marcaigh	omarcaia@tcd.ie	+353 1 455 8111
Professor Mark Lawlor	mlawler@stjames.ie	+353 1 896 2093
Professor Shaun McCann	srmccann@tcd.ie	+353 1 896 2659

Recent Publications

Minimal residual disease detection in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients at multiple time-points reveals high levels of concordance between molecular and immunophenotypic approaches' RYAN Jacqueline; QUINN Fiona; MEUNIER Armelle; BOUBLIKOVA Ludmila; CRAMPE Mireille; TEWARI Prerna; O'MARCAIGH Aengus; STALLINGS Ray; NEAT Michael; O'MEARA Ann; BREATNACH Fin; MCCANN Shaun; BROWNE Paul; SMITH Owen; LAWLER Mark

Author(s) Affiliation(s)

(1) The John Durkan Laboratory for Leukaemia Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, St. James's Hospital & Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, IRLANDE (2) National Paediatric Haematology & Oncology Centre, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Dublin, IRLANDE (3) National Centre for Medical Genetics, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Dublin, IRLANDE (4) Department of Haematology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, IRLANDE

Abstract

In this single centre study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients treated on the Medical Research Council UKALL 97/99 protocols, it was determined that minimal residual disease (MRD) detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) and 3-colour flow cytometry (FC) displayed high levels of qualitative concordance when evaluated at multiple time-points during treatment (93-38%), and a combined use of both approaches allowed a multi time-point evaluation of MRD kinetics for 90% (53/59) of the initial cohort. At diagnosis, MRD markers with sensitivity of at least 0·01% were identified by RQ-PCR detection of fusion gene transcripts, IGH/TRG rearrangements, and FC. Using a combined RQ-PCR and FC approach, the evaluation of 367 follow-up BM samples revealed that the detection of MRD >1% at Day 15 (P = 0·04), >0·01% at the end of induction (P = 0·02), >0·01% at the end of consolidation (P = 0·01), >0·01% prior to the first delayed intensification (P = 0·01), and >0·1% prior to the second delayed intensification and continued maintenance (P 0·001) were all associated with relapse and, based on early time-points (end of induction and consolidation) a significant log-rank trend (P = 0·0091) was noted between survival curves for patients stratified into high, intermediate and low-risk MRD groups.

Journal Title

British journal of haematology 2009, vol. 144, no1, pp. 107-115 [9 page(s) (article)] (2 p.)

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