TY - JOUR TI - Efficiency of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization for BCR/ABL on peripheral blood smears for monitoring of CML patients: a comparison with bone marrow findings AU - Akel, S AU - Kolialexi, A AU - Mavrou, A AU - Metaxotou, C AU - Loukopoulos, AU - D AU - Yataganas, X JO - CLINICAL AND LABORATORY HAEMATOLOGY PY - 2002 VL - 24 TODO - 6 SP - 361-367 PB - Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd SN - null TODO - 10.1046/j.1365-2257.2002.00470.x TODO - chronic myeloid leukemia; fluorescence in situ hybridization; immunophenotyping; T lymphocytes; BCR/ABL TODO - Conventional cytogenetic analysis (CCA) is the standard method for monitoring of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Evaluation of breakpoint cluster region/abelson murine leukemia (BCR/ABL) fusion using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization on peripheral blood smears (PB-FISH) might be another approach allowing more frequent and less invasive follow-up investigations. Herein, BCR/ABL fusion gene was assessed on 21 PB smears from 16 CML patients in chronic phase. Results of PB-FISH were compared with those of CCA and interphase FISH on bone marrow aspirates (BM-FISH). PB-FISH analysis was combined with CD3 immunophenotyping that allowed simultaneous investigation of the leukemic status of CD3(+) T lymphocytes and scoring CD3(-) cells for BCR/ABL fusion gene. Moreover, the frequency of BCR/ABL fusion in nonlymphoid PB cells was estimated according to the differential leukocyte counts. The incidence of BCR/ABL(+) fusion signals in CD3(+) T cells of CML patients was 5.3% (SD+/-1.9) and did not exceed the normal cut-off value of 8%. A significant correlation (P<0.001) was found between results of PB-FISH and methods of BM analysis (CCA or BM-FISH). Correction of PB-FISH results to include only nonlymphoid or CD3(-) cells reduced the mean of differences and improved agreement between PB-FISH and CCA or BM-FISH methods. The best agreement was noted between CCA and PB-FISH on nonlymphoid cells. On the other hand, results of BM-FISH agreed well with those of PB-FISH on CD3(-) cells. These findings imply that PB-FISH on nonlymphoid or CD3(-) cells is reliable and may replace BM analysis for monitoring of response to treatment in CML patients. ER -