Soluble donor DNA concentrations in recipient serum correlate with pancreas-kidney rejection

• Published in: Clinical chemistry (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 52; no. 3; pp. 379 - 382
• Main Authors: GADI, Vijayakrishna K, NELSON, J. Lee, BOESPFLUG, Nicholas D, GUTHRIE, Katherine A, KUHR, Christian S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for Clinical Chemistry 01.03.2006; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Biopsy; Calibration; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genomes; Graft Rejection - diagnosis; HLA Antigens - genetics; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Kidney Transplantation; Kidney transplants; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pancreas; Pancreas Transplantation; Patients; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Protozoa; Serum; Solubility; Tissue Donors; Transplantation Chimera - genetics; Transplantation, Homologous; Graft(material); Biochemistry; Recipient; Concentration; Soluble form; Kidney; Rejection; Urinary system; Donor; DNA; Clinical biology; Serum; Molecular biology; Pancreas
• ISSN: 0009-9147; 1530-8561
• DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2005.058974

There is no reliable serum marker available to monitor incipient pancreas or islet-cell rejection. We tested the hypothesis that quantification of donor-specific genomic DNA in serum (from tissue damage) can serve as a marker of rejection. Using a recently developed panel of HLA-specific quantitative PCR assays (Q-PCR), we tested 158 sera from 42 pancreas-kidney transplant recipients. Temporally related biopsies for 65 sera permitted analysis for correlation of donor DNA concentrations with rejection. Donor DNA concentrations were higher in sera from recipients who had experienced allograft rejection (n = 31) than from those who had not (n = 34). Median concentrations, expressed as the genome-equivalent (gEq) number of donor cells per 10(6) host cells, were 2613 and 59 gEq/10(6), respectively (P = 0.03). Q-PCR for donor-specific genetic polymorphisms merits further investigation as a noninvasive approach to monitor pancreas-kidney as well as other types of allograft rejection.