Detection of low abundance mRNA of myeloid specific genes in cells of acute and chronic lymphoid leukemias by cRNA hybridization

The hybridization to a complementary RNA (cRNA) probe both in situ and in solution was used to assay tiny amounts of mRNA of the lactoferrin (LF) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) genes in normal bone marrow cells and in acute and chronic lymphoid leukemias. Evidence is reported that this technique is much more sensitive than the standard Northern blot technique. The LF mRNA was detectable in three of seven cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in three of seven cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Four cases of ALL were also positive when tested with the MPO cRNA. It is apparent from these results that myeloid specific mRNA, different from MPO, may be detected in leukemic cells with lymphoid phenotype using a method more sensitive than the Northern blot technique. Whether or not the molecular events observed in these cell populations reflect events physiologically occurring rather than a deregulation of gene expression associated to leukemogenesis remains to be established.