Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is characterized cytogenetically by a t(9;22)(q34;ql1) reciprocal translocation which gives origin to a hybrid BCR-ABL gene, encoding a p2lO(BCR-ABL) fusion protein with elevated tyrosine kinase activity and transforming abilities. The t(9;22) was suggested to be associated with genomic imprinting of centromeric regions of chromosomes 9 and 22, but the genes directly affected by the translocation, ABL and BCR, were shown not to be imprinted. For most diagnostic and research purposes the BCR-ABL gene can be efficiently identified by reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) amplification of its fusion transcripts, which can be quantified by competitive PCR and similar assays for assessment of residual disease in the follow-up of therapy. In the great majority of CML patients the BCR-ABL transcripts exhibit a b2a2 and/or a b3a2 junction; in rare cases, the only detectable BCR-ABL transcripts have unusual junctions, such as b2a3, b3a3, e1a2 or e6a2. There is a recent suggestion that the BCR-ABL gene may not be always 'functional', since extremely low levels of BCR-ABL transcripts can be found in leucocytes from normal individuals and, conversely, it appears that no BCR-ABL transcription can be detected in a proportion of Ph-positive haematopoietic progenitors from some CML patients. The role, if any, of the reciprocal ABL-BCR hybrid gene in CML is unknown. Although its mRNA message is in frame, no ABL-BCR fusion protein has yet been identified in CML patients. The blast crisis of CML has been variably associated with abnormalities of proto-oncogenes, such as RAS and MYC, or of tumour suppressor genes, in particular RB, p53 and p16, or with the generation of chimeric transcription factors, as in the AML1-EVI1 gene fusion. It is likely, therefore, that multiple and alternative molecular defects, as opposed to a single universal mechanism, underlie the acute transformation of the disease.
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PMID:The molecular biology of chronic myeloid leukaemia. 865 67

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used to detect minimal residual disease after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Previous studies have shown that PCR positivity is common following BMT. However, the clinical significance of this finding for any given individual who is PCR positive remains unclear, as many of these patients remain long-term disease-free survivors after allogeneic BMT. In the present study, we used PCR to detect BCR-ABL mRNA in 144 blood or marrow samples from 36 patients who received a T cell-depleted BMT for CML in first chronic phase. Six patients had no evidence of PCR-detectable residual disease at any time following transplant. The other 30 patients had at least one positive PCR result post-BMT. Once PCR positivity was found, it was usually sustained, with only four patients having a subsequent PCR negative assay. No patient who had two consecutive PCR-positive assays had a return to PCR negativity. None of the six patients with exclusively PCR-negative assays have developed either cytogenetic or hematologic relapse at a median follow-up of 42 months. Of the 30 patients with at least one PCR-positive assay post-BMT, 28 were PCR positive at last follow-up, and 22 have progressed to cytogenetic or hematologic relapse. If the PCR-positive assay occurred within 24 months of the transplant then the estimated probability of progression to cytogenetic or hematologic relapse was 65% at 24 months. Twenty of the 26 patients who were studied early (< or = 6 months) after BMT had at least one positive PCR assay. Fifteen of the 20 patients who were PCR positive < or = 6 months following transplant have progressed to either cytogenetic or hematologic relapse resulting in an estimated probability of relapse of 84% at 24 months. These results indicate that following T cell-depleted BMT for CML in first chronic phase, PCR is highly predictive of relapse and may identify a cohort of patients in need of therapeutic intervention before the onset of overt clinical relapse.
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PMID:Polymerase chain reaction is highly predictive of relapse in patients following T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia. 872 69

Serial quantification of residual disease in CML patients after allogeneic BMT is useful for early detection of relapse. However, the fact that some cytogenetic relapses appear to be transient may complicate protocols for early therapeutic intervention based on molecular analysis and could result in the unnecessary treatment of some patients. To determine the frequency and significance of transient cytogenetic relapse, we have studied serial samples from 98 CML patients after allogeneic BMT by conventional cytogenetics and competitive RT-PCR for BCR-ABL mRNA. During the period of study, 26 patients had cytogenetic or haematologic evidence or relapse. In four cases (15% of those who relapsed; 4% of all patients) relapse appeared to be transient; i.e., subsequent marrow samples were completely Ph chromosome-negative despite the fact that there had been no change in treatment, including the level of immunosuppression. BCR-ABL mRNA levels broadly paralleled the cytogenetic findings. Of these four patients, two subsequently progressed to frank haematologic relapse and two remained strongly positive for BCR-ABL transcripts and are therefore presumably still at risk of relapse. Analysis of B cell-enriched, T cell-enriched and lymphoid-depleted fractions for three patients demonstrated that transient relapse was not due to the proliferations of BCR-ABL-positive lymphoid cells. In contrast, BCR-ABL-positive myeloid precursor cells were detected in two of three patients tested. We conclude that transient cytogenetic relapse followed by sustained remission is a relatively infrequent occurrence after current allogeneic transplant regimens.
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PMID:Molecular analysis of transient cytogenetic relapse after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia. 897 86

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a clonal stem cell disorder associated with the Philadelphia (Ph) translocation [t(9;22) (q34;q11)]. As a result of the Ph translocation, parts of the ABL and BCR genes become fused. Cytogenetic quantification of Ph+ metaphases can be used to monitor patient response to treatment but is of limited sensitivity and applies only to cycling cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes from the BCR and ABL regions can also identify the Ph translocation in interphase cells. Established systems for the detection of fusion genes by FISH rely on colocalization of two different probes but are associated with a high rate of false-positive results. We have introduced a third probe labeled with a different fluorochrome to create a triple-probe/three-color system that permits identification of both the Ph chromosome and the derivative 9 chromosome in Ph+ cells. This system was used to determine the frequency of interphase cells carrying the BCR-ABL fusion gene in bone marrow and peripheral blood granulocytes from patients showing variable cytogenetic responses to interferon. Our data show that the triple-probe/three-color approach allows highly sensitive detection of residual disease. Moreover, this method is readily applicable to the analysis of other chromosome translocations.
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PMID:Improved sensitivity of BCR-ABL detection: a triple-probe three-color fluorescence in situ hybridization system. 926 56

The degree of tumor load reduction after therapy, which is determined by the degrees of cytoreduction and cytogenetic response, is an important prognostic factor for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Conventional metaphase analysis is considered to be the "gold standard" for evaluating cytogenetic response. The frequency of cytogenetic analysis can be reduced considerably if patients are monitored by molecular methods, such as quantitative Southern blot, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), quantitative western blot, or competitive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Molecular methods can be performed on peripheral blood specimens and are therefore less invasive than cytogenetic analyses of bone marrow metaphases. Furthermore these techniques are applicable to Ph-negative/BCR-AbL-positive cases. Results obtained by Southern blotting, western blotting, and FISH are readily quantifiable but their sensitivity is not generally superior to that of cytogenetic methods. RT-PCR is by far the most sensitive method. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis is the method of choice for monitoring patients after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Using competitive PCR in patients after BMT, reappearance and/or rising levels of BCR-ABL transcripts can be detected prior to relapse. All complete cytogenetic responders to interferon-alpha are positive for BCR-ABL transcripts. The level of residual disease spans a range over found orders of magnitude. In both interferon-alpha-treated patients and patients after BMT a good correlation between BCR-ABL transcript numbers per microgram of RNA and cytogenetic results has been found. Variables in the competitive PCR assay may be controlled for by quantification of transcripts of the normal ABL gene as an internal standard. We suggest a stepwise strategy for diagnosis and follow-up of CML patients employing molecular methods.
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PMID:Molecular monitoring of residual disease in chronic myelogenous leukemia patients after therapy. 930 5

Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) constitutes 15-35% of all ALL in adults. Its detection is prognostically significant. The Ph abnormality is usually detected through standard cytogenetic analysis but 20-30% of patients have insufficient metaphases (IM) with such analysis. To detect the BCR-ABL oncoprotein in peripheral blood specimen of patients with ALL at the time of diagnosis and at follow-up, a new sensitive technique of enhanced chemiluminescence Western blot (ECL-WB) analysis was investigated. Among 41 patients with newly diagnosed ALL, nine were Ph positive by cytogenetic studies; they were also BCR-ABL positive according to ECL-WB. Eight had p190 disease, and one had p210 disease. Among the 16 patients with IM, none demonstrated the oncoprotein through ECL-WB or through simultaneous Southern blot (SB) for p210 rearrangement. Follow-up studies were available for seven patients: four had detectable protein and three of them relapsed 4-20 weeks later; three had undetectable protein and one of them (who had low level protein at the time of diagnosis) relapsed 11 weeks later. Although none of the patients with IM at diagnosis had detectable protein according to ECL-WB, this was probably due to the small number of patients studied. One patient with IM studied at follow-up demonstrated the protein by ECL-WB. In summary, we describe a technique that is useful in the detection of p190/p210 ALL at diagnosis. It is less time consuming, and more cost effective than standard chromosome banding techniques. It may also detect the oncoprotein in cases with IM. Although a larger number of patients should be studied to prove its clinical usefulness, this technique may also be of value for monitoring residual disease at follow-up.
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PMID:Analysis of the BCR-ABL protein in Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphocytic leukemia. 930 17

The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term results of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia. A retrospective analysis was carried out of the outcome of 373 consecutive transplants performed at 38 European institutions between 1980 and 1988 and reported to the registry of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. All transplants were carried out for first chronic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia using unmanipulated marow cells from HLA-identical sibling donors. The probability of survival and leukemia-free survival at 8 years were 54% (95% CI: 49-59) and 47% (95% CI: 41-52) respectively. The probabilities of developing acute GVHD (II-IV) at 100 days and chronic GVHD at 4 years after transplant were 47% (95% CI: 41-53) and 52% (95% CI: 46-58) respectively. The probabilities of transplant-related mortality and leukemic relapse 8 years after BMT were 41% (95% CI: 36-48) and 19% (95% CI: 14-25), respectively. Transplant within 12 months of diagnosis was associated with reduced transplant-related mortality (34 vs 45%, P = 0.013) and resulted in improved leukemia-free survival (52 vs 44%, P = 0.03). The probability of relapse was significantly reduced in patients who developed chronic GVHD (RR = 0.33, P = 0.004). The probability of relapse occurring more than 2 years after transplant was increased more than five-fold in patients transplanted from a male donor (RR = 5.5, P = 0.006). Sixty-seven patients in hematologic remission were studied for residual disease by two-step RT/PCR for BCR-ABL mRNA and 61 (91%) tested negative. We conclude that bone marrow transplantation can induce long-term survival in approximately one-half of CML patients; the majority of survivors have no evidence of residual leukemia cells when studied by molecular techniques. The probability of late relapse is increased with use of a male donor.
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PMID:Long-term results after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase: a report from the Chronic Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 933 56

There is a need for fast and sensitive methods to evaluate the response of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy to complement cytogenetic analysis of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive metaphases. We have used interphase FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) and competitive RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) techniques for detection of BCR-ABL-positive cells to measure suppression of leukaemic clone in a series of 51 follow-up samples from 24 CML patients undergoing IFN-alpha treatment. Interphase FISH analysis of the malignant clone in bone marrow using BCR and ABL probes was found to be highly correlated to conventional G-banding metaphase examination (r = 0.98). RT-PCR quantification of BCR-ABL mRNA transcripts in blood also showed a high degree of concordance with the proportion of Ph-positive metaphases (r = 0.93). In addition, the degree of cytogenetic response did not influence the equivalence between karyotype analysis and molecular methods. We concluded that interphase FISH and competitive RT-PCR provide reliable information on residual tumour burden and response to IFN-alpha in CML patients. These molecular methods may significantly improve the efficiency of residual disease monitoring during IFN-alpha therapy of CML.
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PMID:Interphase cytogenetics and competitive RT-PCR for residual disease monitoring in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia during interferon-alpha therapy. 963 1

Cytogenetic, interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and RT-PCR methods were used to study minimal residual disease in peripheral blood stem cells collected for autografting in three chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in sustained complete cytogenetic remission after treatment with interferon alpha (IFNalpha). Karyotypic analysis failed to reveal Ph-positive metaphases. FISH detected 9-16% nuclei with a BCR-ABL fusion gene, contrasting with RT-PCR, performed in two cases, which was negative in one case and weakly positive in the other. RT-PCR was also subsequently weakly positive in the third patient. This discrepancy suggests that the BCR-ABL genomic rearrangement persists unexpressed in quiescent cells. These preliminary results, which need to be confirmed in larger series, suggest that monitoring residual disease in CML should be performed both at DNA and RNA levels. Moreover, autografting following IFNalpha therapy should be considered with caution because of the persistence of the BCR-ABL genomic rearrangement in a sizeable proportion of the cells.
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PMID:Does BCR-ABL genomic rearrangement persist in CML patients in complete remission after interferon alpha therapy? 966 93

Using a highly sensitive fluorescence in situ hybridization method with probes for BCR and ABL1 (D-FISH), we studied 37 paired sets of bone marrow and blood specimens, collected within 24 to 96 hours of each other, from 10 patients before and during treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The normal range for 500 interphase nuclei was </=4 (</=0.8%) nuclei based on 10 bone marrow and 10 blood specimens from normal individuals. The percentage of neoplastic nuclei was usually lower in blood than bone marrow. However, changes in the percentage of neoplastic nuclei in blood and bone marrow tracked closely over the course of therapy and with the results of quantitative cytogenetic studies on bone marrow. This result indicates that D-FISH is useful to test blood from patients with CML to monitor therapy. Moreover, by analysis of 6,000 nuclei with D-FISH, residual disease was identified in bone marrow and blood for patients in complete cytogenetic remission. Consequently, D-FISH analyses of interphase nuclei from blood could substitute for Q-cytogenetic studies on bone marrow. Thus, it may not be necessary to collect bone marrow samples so frequently to monitor therapy in CML.
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PMID:A special fluorescent in situ hybridization technique to study peripheral blood and assess the effectiveness of interferon therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia. 974 69


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