BCR-ABL positive cells and chronic myeloid leukemia in immune suppressed organ transplant recipients

Item Type:	Article
Title:	BCR-ABL positive cells and chronic myeloid leukemia in immune suppressed organ transplant recipients
Creators Name:	le Coutre, P. and Reinke, P. and Neuhaus, R. and Trappe, R. and Ringel, F. and Lalancette, M. and Hemmati, P.G. and Doerken, B. and Daniel, P.T.
Abstract:	The constitutively activated tyrosine kinase activity of the p210(bcr-abl) fusion protein, generated by a t(9;22)(q34;q11) chromosomal translocation, is pathogenetically associated with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). However, mechanisms contributing to the expansion of a BCR-ABL positive clone are largely obscure. In the presence of an impaired immune surveillance, cells carrying any of these alterations may become phenotypically relevant. Therefore, immunosuppressed solid organ recipients represent an optimal population to investigate the frequency of mRNA products of this translocation. Blood leukocytes were studied in 201 individuals (100 organ recipients and 101 control individuals) for the presence of BCR-ABL transcripts by a nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay, routinely used in our institution. In 5/100 immunosuppressed patients, at least one out of two rt-PCR products was bcr-abl positive while all controls were negative. These findings are extended by four cases of organ transplant recipients (3 renal and 1 liver transplant). Three of these cases developed CML in a total of 2088 transplantations in nine years suggesting a higher incidence of CML in these patients.
Keywords:	CML, BCR-ABL, Immune Suppression, Solid Organ Transplantation
Source:	European Journal of Haematology
ISSN:	0902-4441
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
Volume:	84
Number:	1
Page Range:	26-33
Date:	1 January 2010
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0609.2009.01357.x
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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