The Role of Wilms’ Tumor Gene (WT1) Expression as a Marker of Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract

The Minimal Residual Disease(MRD) monitoring in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is crucial to guide treatment after morphologic complete remission, to define the need for consolidation with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Allo-SCT), and to detect impending relapse allowing early intervention. However, more than 50% of patients with AML lack a specific or measurable molecular marker to monitor MRD. We reviewed the key studies on WT1 overexpression as a marker of MRD in AML patients undergoing an intensive chemotherapy program, including Allo-SCT. In addition, we provided some practical considerations on how to properly use WT1 expression as an MRD marker, considering its strengths and weaknesses. In order to achieve the best sensitivity and specificity, it is recommended to refer to the standardized method of European LeukemiaNet and its defined threshold (250 WT1 copies/104 Abelson (ABL) on Bone Marrow-BM and 50 WT1 copies/104 ABL on Peripheral Blood-PB), which has been validated in a large and multicenter cohort of patients and normal controls.