Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to develop a method to detect ovarian residual disease by multicolor flow cytometry in acute leukemia patients.
Methods
We designed an experimental model consisting in adding acute leukemia cells to a cell suspension obtained from healthy ovarian cortex. Leukemic cell detection within the ovarian cell suspension required the development of a specific myeloid antibody panel different from that commonly used for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in bone marrow. The method was then used to detect ovarian residual disease in 11 acute leukemia patients.
Results
Multicolor flow cytometry is able to evaluate the presence of viable leukemic cells in the ovarian cortex with good specificity and robust sensitivity of 10−4. We observed a good correlation between multicolor flow cytometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction results. Ovarian residual disease detection by multicolor flow cytometry was positive in 3 out of 11 acute leukemia patients.
Conclusion
Multicolor flow cytometry can potentially be applied to ovarian tissue from all acute leukemia patients and is essential to evaluate the risk of cancer re-seeding before autograft of ovarian tissue in case of acute leukemia.


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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Christine Decanter and Brigitte Leroy-Martin (CHRU Lille, France), Catherine POIROT (CHI Poissy Saint-Germain, France) and Nathalie Rives (CHU Rouen, France) for their help in ovarian tissue collection and Joanna Farrow for editorial assistance. This work was supported by the Regional University Hospital of Besançon, DGOS/INSERM/INCa, the Committee of the League against Cancer, and the Regional Council of Franche-Comté.
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Ovarian residual disease detection by multicolor flow cytometry was positive for 3 of 11 acute leukemia patients. The safety of crypreserved ovarian tissue autograft in case of acute leukemia remains of great concern.
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Zver, T., Alvergnas-Vieille, M., Garnache-Ottou, F. et al. A new method for evaluating the risk of transferring leukemic cells with transplanted cryopreserved ovarian tissue. J Assist Reprod Genet 32, 1263–1266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0512-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0512-4