Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) have been shown to enhance the graft-versus- @entity1778 (GVL) effect and induce haematological and molecular remission in @entity1 with @entity1860 following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The potent donor cell-mediated cytolysis following DLI may lead to a short period of @entity3894 before the re-establishment of donor haematopoiesis. The absence of detectable donor cells in @entity1 prior to DLI infusion may result in permanent @entity3894 in certain @entity1 . We report on four @entity1 who relapsed 1, 3, 6.5 and 7 years post-BMT for chronic phase CML and were treated with DLI from their original BMT donor. Polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs) were used to assess haematological chimaerism both prior to and following DLI. At the time of relapse, STR-PCR indicated the presence of donor cells in all four @entity1 , at levels ranging from 1-40%. A clinical and molecular response was seen in 4/4 @entity1 following a short period of @entity1503 and all @entity1 remain in clinical remission with a follow-up of 2 months-3 years post-DLI. STR-PCR indicated that a response was occurring during the period of @entity3043 when metaphase analysis was unsuccessful. Lineage-specific analysis of the cellular response to DLI was monitored using STR-PCR of peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) lymphocyte-enriched fractions and @entity3138 -positive and -negative T cell fractions. In one @entity1 BM and PB @entity2280 -positive and -negative fractions were also assessed. A change in the ratio of donor:recipient cells in the PB lymphocyte fraction was the earliest molecular indication of an anti-leukaemic response. Subsequent conversion to donor chimaerism occurred in the other lineages and the granulocyte fraction was the last lineage to convert. In conclusion, lineage-specific STR-PCR permits detailed monitoring of subtle changes in donor/recipient cell dynamics in specific lineages following DLI during the crucial pancytopenic phase and may be a useful predictor of haematological response to DLI therapy.

Monitoring of lineage-specific chimaerism allows early prediction of response following donor lymphocyte infusions for relapsed XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity3138 :: ('914', 'Gene') :: ['CD2'] @entity1503 :: ('MESH:D006402', 'Disease') :: ['cytopenia'] @entity1778 :: ('MESH:D007938', 'Disease') :: ['leukaemia'] @entity3043 :: ('MESH:D010198', 'Disease') :: ['pancytopenia'] @entity2280 :: ('947', 'Gene') :: ['CD34'] @entity1860 :: ('MESH:D015464', 'Disease') :: ['relapsed CML'] @entity3894 :: ('MESH:C563261', 'Disease') :: ['aplasia']
@entity1860 :: (MESH:D015464,Disease) :: ['chronic myeloid leukaemia']
