[Detection of minimal residual disease in Ph+/bcr-abl+ acute lymphoblast leukemia by cytogenetic analysis, nested-PCR and flow cytometry].

To explore a simple and sensitive method to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in Ph(+)/bcr-abl(+) ALL patients, the bone marrow samples from 84 de novo ALL patients were detected by cytogenetic analysis, nested-PCR and flow cytometry (FCM). Cytogenetic analysis method is used to detect Ph chromosome, nested-PCR and FCM are used to detect bcr/abl mRNA and an abnormal B-cell differentiation pattern in de novo and complete remission (CR) patients, respectively. The results showed that Ph chromosome has not been found in 14 cases of CR; bcr/abl fusion gene was detected in 11 of 14 CR patients by nested-PCR (78.57%) and bcr/abl fusion gene was positive in 5 of 14 in CR patients (35.71%) by FCM. The sensitivity of nested-PCR was 10(-6)-10(-7), and that of FCM was 10(-4)- 10(-5). It is concluded that the cytogenetic analysis is not sensitive for MRD detection, and the sensitivity of nested-PCR is higher than that of FCM in detecting MRD.