Quantitative RT-PCR Analysis of the MOZ-CBP Fusion Transcript in Therapy-related Acute Myeloid Leukemia With t(8;16)(p11;p13)

We developed a real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay system for detecting the MOZ-CBP fusion transcript and used it to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) status in a patient with therapy related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) harboring t(8;16)(p11;p13). Expression of the MOZ-CBP fusion transcript was determined by RT-PCR analysis of the patient's bone marrow at the time of diagnosis. Thereafter, real time RT-PCR was used to evaluate MRD levels throughout the entire course of treatment. The sensitivity of quantitative RT-PCR for the MOZ-CBP fusion transcript was 10(-5). Below this level, MRD was classified as negative. Real time RT-PCR of the bone marrow after induction therapy showed the reduction of MOZ-CBP transcript to approximately 10(-3) level when compared to the diagnostic sample. MRD was classified as negative (< 10(-5) compared with that in the bone marrow at diagnosis) after 5 courses of chemotherapy, a level that was maintained post-allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Real time RT-PCR of the MOZ-CBP transcript is a useful tool for assessing MRD status for a patient with therapy related acute myeloid leukemia who was initially predicted to have a poor prognosis.