Most modern treatment protocols for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) include the analysis of minimal residual disease (MRD). To ensure comparable MRD results between different MRD-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratories, standardization and quality control are essential. The European Study Group on MRD detection in ALL (ESG-MRD-ALL), consisting of 30 MRD-PCR laboratories worldwide, has developed guidelines for the interpretation of real-time quantitative PCR-based MRD data. The application of these guidelines ensures identical interpretation of MRD data between different laboratories of the same MRD-based clinical protocol. Furthermore, the ESG-MRD-ALL guidelines will facilitate the comparison of MRD data obtained in different treatment protocols, including those with new drugs.

doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404586, hdl.handle.net/1765/36303
Leukemia
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

van der Velden, V., Cazzaniga, G., Schrauder, A., Hancock, J., Panzer-Grümayer, E. R., Flohr, T., … van Dongen, J. (2007). Analysis of minimal residual disease by Ig/TCR gene rearrangements: Guidelines for interpretation of real-time quantitative PCR data. Leukemia, 21(4), 604–611. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2404586