Brief Communication: Immunodiagnosis of Acute Leukemia: Detection of Residual Disease

Bone marrow cells from 25 adult patients with acute leukemia in complete remission were used to stimulate blastogenesis among autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes to detect residual leukemia among the marrow cells. Of 17 patients in remission whose peripheral blood lymphocytes failed to react to autologous remission bone marrow cells, 15 remained in complete remission (median = 10.5 months). In contrast, 5 of 8 patients in remission whose peripheral blood lymphocytes were stimulated by the bone marrow cells subsequently relapsed (median = 6.5 months). The difference in the relapse rate between the 2 groupswas statistically significant (P = 0.05). The use of this immunologic technique to detect minimal residual disease in apparently remission bone marrows should improve the treatment strategy for patients with acute leukemia.