Genotyping of chimerical BCR-ABL1 RNA in chronic myeloid leukemia by integrated DNA chip

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are associated with fusion of the BCR and ABL1 genes by chromosome translocation. The chimerical BCR-ABL1 gene encodes different fusion proteins that vary in size, depending on the breakpoint in the BCR region. Different types of fusion genes in CML and Ph(+) ALL are thought to be related to the clinical course and outcome of each patient. Currently, the genotypes are determined by PCR, followed by gel electrophoresis or DNA sequencing (among other methodologies). Our major aim was to develop a diagnostic method for CML genotyping by means of an integrated process of DNA microarray. Here, we describe a method of integrated multiplex reverse transcription, asymmetric PCR, and hybridization, all in the same reaction mixture in a chamber assembled on the surface of capture oligonucleotide probes immobilized on a glass slide. The integrated system successfully identified the four predominant types of chimerical BCR-ABL1 RNA (b3a2, b2a2, e1a2, and c3a2), which together account for 98% of CML cases. The integrated multiplex system also had a high sensitivity of detection (as little as 200 molecules of target RNA molecules). The integrated process saves time and effort, and it also the advantage of minimizing the steps needed for automated detection of different types of chimerical CML RNA.