Different forms of p210 are produced by alternative splicing, namely b2a2 and b3a2. There have been many contrasting data establishing a relationship between the two Bcr/Abl transcripts and platelet counts and also response to treatment. However, the data published to date have been on a small group of patients. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there was any difference between clinical and hematological parameters at diagnosis between the two Bcr/Abl fusion transcripts in

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... r population, and whether the two transcripts responded differently or similarly to imatinib treatment. RT-PCR was performed in 202 cases for detection of Bcr/Abl transcripts in newly diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia cases in one year. The two transcripts were compared and correlated with clinical, hematological and FISH data and with response to treatment. A total of 138 cases were of b3a2 and 64 were of b2a2 transcript. There was no correlation between the hemato-