Published in:
01-11-2004 | Original Article
Immunofluorescent analysis with the anti-PML monoclonal antibody PG-M3 for rapid and accurate genetic diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors:
Federico Gomis, Jaime Sanz, Amparo Sempere, Gemma Plumé, Maria L. Senent, Maria L. Pérez, José Cervera, Federico Moscardó, Pascual Bolufer, Eva Barragán, Guillermo Martín, Miguel A. Sanz
Published in:
Annals of Hematology
|
Issue 11/2004
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Abstract
Genetic diagnosis is currently considered the most reliable method to accurately identify patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) requiring tailored therapy including all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). We investigated the clinical effectiveness of immunofluorescence techniques with the anti-PML monoclonal antibody PG-M3 for rapid and accurate diagnosis of APL. PML immunofluorescence staining was analyzed in 164 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), including APL (110 patients) and non-APL subtypes (54 patients). All 54 patients with an AML phenotype, in whom tests for t(15;17) or its fusion gene PML/RARα were negative, showed a speckled (macrogranular) nuclear pattern. Of the 110 genetically diagnosed APL patients, 108 showed a microgranular pattern that confirmed PG-M3 positivity. The remaining two patients were not evaluable for PG-M3 reactivity because of scarcity of cells. No patient with APL showed a normal pattern. The high sensitivity and specificity of immunolabeling using PG-M3 monoclonal antibody show that it is a highly efficient and reliable tool to identify PML/RARα-positive patients with APL and that it should be standardized as a first-line diagnostic procedure. In addition, it is technically simple, fast, and cheap, only requiring small tissue samples and non-sophisticated equipment.