%0 Case Reports
%T The evolution of malignant and reactive γδ + T cell clones in a relapse T-ALL case after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
%A Chen S
%A Huang X
%A Zheng H
%A Geng S
%A Wu X
%A Yang L
%A Weng J
%A Du X
%A Li Y
%J Mol Cancer
%V 12
%N 0
%D Jul 2013 12
%M 23849082
%F 41.444
%R 10.1186/1476-4598-12-73
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>To improve the outcome of patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), characterization of the biological features of T-ALL blast cells and the immune status of patients with T-ALL is needed to identify specific therapeutic strategies.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Using a novel approach based on the combination of fine-tiling comparative genomic hybridization (FT-CGH) and ligation-mediated PCR (LM-PCR), we molecularly identified a malignant γδ + T cell clone with a Vδ5Dδ2Jδ1 rearrangement that was paired with a T cell receptor (TCR) VγI and comprised a Vγ1Vδ5 T cell clone in a relapse T-ALL patient. This malignant Vδ5 T cell clone disappeared after chemotherapy, but the clone was detected again when disease relapsed post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) at 100 weeks. Using PCR and GeneScan analyses, the distribution and clonality of the TCR Vγ and Vδ subfamilies were examined before and after allo-HSCT in the patient. A reactive T cell clone with a Vδ4Dδ3Jδ1 rearrangement was identified in all samples taken at different time points (i.e., 4, 8, 68, 100 and 108 weeks after allo-HSCT). The expression of this Vδ4+ T cell clone was higher in the patient during complete remission (CR) post allo-HSCT and at disease relapse.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>This study established a sensitive methodology to detect T cell subclones, which may be used to monitor minimal residual disease and immune reconstitution.