Our data show that long-term remission after BMT in APL patients is associated with eradication of cells carrying the PML-RAR alpha transcript, and that continued positivity of this test predicts subsequent relapse.
APL is characterized cytogenetically by a t(15;17) translocation which involves both the PML gene on chromosome 15 and the RAR alpha gene on chromosome 17 and gives rise to the PML/RAR alpha fusion protein.