Molecular monitoring of Tunisian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Background: bcr-abl fusion gene is the hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). RQ-PCR provides an accurate measure of the total leukemia cell mass and the degree to which bcr-abl transcripts are reduced by therapy correlates with progression free survival.

Aim: We report molecular assessment of residual disease in CML Tunisian patients.

Methods: Between June 2003 and December 2014 we measured bcr-abl mRNA levels in peripheral blood from all Tunisian patients by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR).

Results: A total of 708 patients with a mean age of 42 years were included in this study. Based on European Leukemia Net 2013, 80% of the patients achieved an optimal response 20% were in treatment failure. 38% of the patients achieved RM4 which corresponds to a bcr-abl/abl ratio <0.01%, 13% of the patients achieved RM4.5corresponding to bcr-abl/abl ratio of 0.0032%.

Conclusion: CML patients had a good response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors treatment. RQ-PCR is helpful in detecting any residual disease and determining the depth of the treatment response.