Bone marrow engraftment analysis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

BME analysis of allo-BMT patients is used to confirm engraftment and detect MC after transplant. With frequent monitoring, the detection of MC by BME analysis may alert clinicians to a high risk of relapse and allow early intervention with a rapid taper of immunosuppression or DLI therapy. In pancytopenic patients BME analysis can help differentiate relapse from drug toxicity or infection. Although many methods have been used for BME analysis, PCR amplification of STR loci is the choice of many clinical laboratories because it is informative, quantitative, relatively rapid, and sensitive. The sensitivity of BME analysis is dependent upon many factors that need to be optimized by the laboratory performing the analysis. Although BME analysis is complex, the clinical significance for allo-BMT patients warrants the effort to develop, validate, and perform BME analysis in support of the allo-BMT service.