Recovery of polyclonial hemopoiesis in females with chronic myeloid leukemia with a complete cytogenetic response

AIM: To study feasibility of hemopoiesis clonality determination in assessment of remission completeness in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR HUMARA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have examined 28 patients with newly diagnosed CML, 10 CML patients with a complete cytogenetic response (CCR) to therapy with imatinib mesilate and/or alpha-interferon, 24 healthy control females. Twelve patients with untreated CML were homozygous by HUMARA gene (human androgenic receptor gene) and were withdrawn from the study. Leukocytes of peripheral blood from all the patients were investigated with PCR HUMARA for mono- or polyclonal hemopoiesis. Clonality was defined as allele proportion (a/p) of polymorphic loci of HUMARA gene. Remission completeness was confirmed cytogenetically and by molecular methods. RESULTS: The value a/p in 10 patients with CCR varies from 0.69 to 1.33 and is similar to those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The PCR HUMARA technique adequately assesses reduction of Ph-positive clone in CML patients with CCR and points to polyclonal hemopoiesis.