Detection of the BCR-ABL Gene By the Real-Time PCR Method in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil

Background: The Philadelphia chromosome is a cytogenetic change resulting from a reciprocal translocation of genetic material between ABL genes from chromosome 9 and BCR from chromosome 22 or t(9; 22) (q34; 11), forming the chimeric gene BCR- ABL, being associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The p190 variant is usually associated with acute forms of leukemia, including AML and ALL, whereas the p210 variant is associated with the chronic phases of CML. Due to the high sensitivity and specificity, nucleic acid amplification techniques by real-time PCR have replaced the conventional cytogenetic techniques for the identification of the Philadelphia chromosome and its p190 and p210 variants. Molecular analysis has been indicated in the initial diagnostic phase and also for the therapeutic monitoring defining the percentage of neoplastic cells present in the patients during the different phases of the treatment (Minimum Residual Disease or MRD).The aim of this study was the transcript BCR-ABL identification in patients with suspected of CML and evaluation of the gene frequency in these patients. Methods: The presence of BCR-ABL gene was investigated in blood samples from 42 patients with suspected CML. The RNA extraction was performed by phenol/chloroform method. The cDNA was submitted to PCR, using specific primers for and BCR-ABL genes by Real time PCR. Results: From all studied patients, 16 (38.10%) were negative, and 26 (59.09%) positive for one of rearrangements: p210 b3a2 and b2a2 in 18 cases (40.91%) and p190 a1a2 in 2 cases (4,76%) and double positive p120/190 in 6 cases (14,28%). We observed that the most common rearrangement was the p210 b3a2, and the molecular results were compatible with clinical and hematologic suspicion. Conclusions: The Real-timePCR, because of its specificity and sensitivity, can be considered the most used technique in routine diagnosis and investigation of MRD of CML patients.