Role of autologous bone marrow transplantation as consolidation chemotherapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients in complete remission

Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), which consents a low mortali ty rate, has been proposed as an alternative approach to maintenance chemot herapy in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in first complet e remission irrespective of the patients' molecular status. Sixteen patient s with acute APL in complete remission were submitted to ABMT and were anal yzed for the presence of the PML-RARa fusion gene by reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our study demonstrated that continued p ositivity of PCR analysis before ABMT could predict subsequent relapse in p atients who undergo un-purged ABMT procedures.