OBJECTIVETo provide the evidence of RQ-PCR-based assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD), the clonal immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor (Ig/TCR) gene rearrangements were identified in newly diagnosed adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by multiplex PCR protocols.

METHODSForty newly diagnosed adult patients with B-lineage (B-) and T cell (T-) ALL were involved in this study. All DNA samples were obtained from the bone marrow (BM) mononuclear cells (MNC). IgH, IgK, TCRB, TCRG and TCRD gene rearrangements were detected by BIOMED-2 multiplex PCR protocols, which included 96 different primers and 14 multiplex PCR tubes.

RESULTSThe clonal immunoglobulin (Ig) rearrangements were found in 96% of B-ALL, 86% being IgH and 14% IgK. While in T-ALL, clonal TCR rearrangements were found in all of the patients, 83% being TCRB, 78% TCRG and 39% TCRD. More than two clonal markers were found in 91% of B-ALL and 89% of T-ALL patients.

CONCLUSIONSThe detection rate of clonal rearrangements using the BIOMED-2 14 multiplex PCR tubes is high, which can detect virtually all clonal B and T-cell proliferations. It can be used for diagnostic clonality studies as well as for the identification of PCR targets suitable for the detection of minimal residual disease.