Detection of BCR-ABL gene sequences using polymerase chain reaction-reverse transcriptase in patients with leukemia

Background: The BCR-ABL fusion gene is the molecular expression of the Philadelphia chromosome. This cytogenetic aberration is the most frequent alteration found in leukemias, which is produced by the translocation t(9;22), Two different fusion proteins are produced depending on the break point (210 kD and 190 kD). The detection of this gene has both diagnostic and prognostic importance, associated with poor prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Aim To detect BCR-ABL gene sequences in patients with leukemia from the IX Region of Chile. Material and methods: We studied 58 patients: 5 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), 35 ALL, 15 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 3 biphenotypic leukemia. The gene sequences were detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results' BRC-ABL gene sequences were positive in all patients with CML, 2 of 35 ALL (one child and one adult). The remaining patients were negative. We found p210 and p190 co-expression in 2 CML and 1 ALL. Conclusions: Our results are in agreement with other reports. The,detection of these and other genetic alterations will allow us to have invaluable diagnostic and prognostic information from our patients with leukemia.