A patient undergoes surgery to have cancerous leukemia tissu

A patient undergoes surgery to have cancerous (leukemia) tissue removed. What would you do to detect the presence or absence of the transplanted tissue in the patient? It is important in determining whether the new tissue has adapted and is functioning within the patient.

-Please include knowledge of DNA fingerprinting.

Solution

Leukemia is a type of cancer with an abnormal increase in the WBC count. One of the method of treatment for leukemia is bone marrow transplantation, where the cancerous bone marrow cells will be replaced with healthybone marrow stem cells. Human DNA have some polymorphic regions (DNA fingerprints/DNA-F), which can be used as a specific markers for the disease. After the bone marrow transplantation ,the transplanted tissue can be detected by the presence or absence of these DNA-Fingerprints/specific markers. Blood counts should be checked frequently during the days following transplant. This helps to evaluate the initiation and progress of engraftment (production of new blood cells) in the pateints. If the new tissue has adapted, it will produce a normal WBC count and also there should be a proper functioning of Erythroid regeneration. Erythroid activity can be measured by Automated flow cytometric reticulocyte counting.