Skip Navigation



Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on February 28, 2005
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi123
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
16/4/611    most recent
mdi123v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Raab, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Moos, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Raab, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Moos, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology
Received June 19, 2004
Revised November 24, 2004
Accepted November 29, 2004

Original article

Molecular monitoring of tumour load kinetics predicts disease progression after non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma

M. S. Raab 1*, F. W. Cremer 2, I. N. Breitkreutz 1, S. Gerull 1, T. Luft 1, A. Benner 3, M. Goerner 4, A. D. Ho 1, H. Goldschmidt 1, and M. Moos 1

1 Department of Internal Medicine V, Germany
2 Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, Germany
3 Central Unit Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
4 Department of Hematology and Oncology, Staedt. Kiniken Bielefeld GmbH, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
M. S. Raab, E-mail: marc.raab{at}med.uni-heidelberg.de


  Abstract

Background: Non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation followed by immunomodulatory therapies is considered a potentially curative approach in the treatment of multiple myeloma and most effective in a minimal residual disease setting.

Patients and methods: The aim of this study was to find the most sensitive real-time PCR assay (TaqMan), based on the IGH rearrangement, to quantify the tumour load of 11 patients with multiple myeloma after non-myeloablative allogeneic transplantation. Patient-allele specific primers (ASO) and the TaqMan probe were derived from CDR2 and CDR3 hypervariable regions of IGH, while consensus primers were located within the FR3 and FR4/JH regions. Four different approaches of primer combinations were tested.

Results: ASO-forward and -reverse primers together with the clone-specific TaqMan probe were the most sensitive approach compared with the JH (P=0.071) or the FR3 consensus primer (P <0.001). The detection limit amounted to 1/104-1/105 cells. Consecutively, 120 samples from 11 patients prior and post allogeneic transplantation were analysed. Three patients reached complete clinical remission accompanied by molecular remission. Disease progression or relapse was seen in six patients. In five, molecular progressive disease was detected prior to the clinical diagnosis of progression or relapse.

Conclusion: Patient-specific real-time IGH-PCR provides the opportunity for earlier treatment intervention.

Keywords: IgH rearrangement; minimal residual disease; multiple myeloma; non-myeloablative allogeneic transplantation; real-time PCR.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.