Objective: To analyze the conversion of RARalpha/PML gene in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients before and after treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) followed by intensive consolidation chemotherapy (ICC) and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT).
Methods: RARalpha/ PML fusion gene was detected in 22 APL patients before and after treatment by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results: RARalpha/PML fusion gene was positive in 75% of the patients after achieving complete remission with ATRA, and turned negative in 83% of the patients after ICC. The durations of conversion to the RT-PCR negative status varied from 1 to 39 months. Ten patients received allo-BMT, and all of them were RARalpha/PML fusion gene negative in 4 months post allo-BMT.
Conclusion: APL patients could achieve biological remission after ICC and allo-BMT, and the latter seemed to eliminate residual leukemic cells sooner in vivo than the former did.