NOTE:
Do not collect samples on a Friday, the weekend or the day falling immediately prior to a long weekend. These samples may be rejected and a re-collect required.
RNA is highly unstable and specimens degrade rapidly. For optimum results samples should be sent in CPD tubes at room temperature and be received by this lab within 24 hours of collection. Although LabPlus operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Molecular Haematology section only operates 9-5, Mon-Fri (excluding public holidays). Samples arriving on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday or Sunday may not get processed until the following Monday. Such delays can significantly compromise the quality of the sample.
The Xpert BCR-ABL Ultra kit (GeneXpert, Cepheid) quantitatively detects BCR::ABL1 p210 transcripts. The amount of BCR::ABL1 is reported as a percentage (BCR::ABL1/ABL1) aligned to the International Scale.
BCR::ABL1 testing may be used for the diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and acute leukaemia, and to monitor the molecular response (MR) to treatment. The significance of the BCR::ABL1 transcript level should always be considered in the context of treatment and sequential BCR::ABL1 testing.
Please refer to the current European LeukemiaNet (ELN) CML recommendations for additional information including response categories and frequency of testing recommendations.
The limit of quantitation of this assay is MR4.52 (0.0030%) unless otherwise specified. BCR::ABL1 transcripts other than p210 (b2a2 and b3a2) are not detected by this assay. This assay does not distinguish between b2a2 and b3a2 and the result may reflect the detection of both transcripts.
References:
Hochhaus A, et al. European LeukemiaNet 2020 recommendations for treating chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia. 2020 Apr;34(4):966-984.
See also:
BCR-ABL Transcript Detection by RT-PCR
BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Sequencing
To contact the Molecular Haematology team please call:
| Auckland City Hospital | (09) 307 4949 |
| Lablink | ext 22000 |
| Prof. Peter Browett (Haematologist) | ext 9090-86281 |
| Dr. Imogen Caldwell (Haematologist) | ext 22006 |
| Nikhil Ghallayan (Section Leader) | ext 22005 |
| Molecular Haematology Office | ext 22005 |
For more information about the Molecular Haematology service at LabPLUS:
A FISH (fluorescent in situ hydridisation) based assay is also available for this test.