We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

STRECK LABORATORIES

Develops and manufactures products for clinical and research laboratories in biotechnology, clinical controls, hemato... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App





Cell-Free DNA Identifies Liver Transplant Patients with Acute Rejection

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 04 Aug 2016
Print article
Image: A Cell-Free DNA BCT collection tube (Photo courtesy of Streck / Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory).
Image: A Cell-Free DNA BCT collection tube (Photo courtesy of Streck / Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory).
A cell-free DNA (cfDNA) test could help liver transplant patients receive crucial treatment for rejection faster, and has the potential to improve the prognosis of kidney and heart transplant patients as well.

Episodes of acute rejection, that is rejection that takes place in the first few months after an organ transplant, are relatively common. In liver transplant patients in particular, acute rejection develops in about 20% of those treated with standard immunosuppressive therapy. The gold standard for identifying rejection is biopsy, which is expensive and invasive, and at present there are no effective blood tests to take its place.

Scientists at Chronix Biomedical (Göttingen, Germany) and their associates determined whether a blood test for graft-derived cell-free DNA, which is cell-free DNA from a transplanted organ, could identify liver transplant patients with acute rejection. In a first-of-its-kind prospective multicenter trial, they monitored graft-derived cell-free DNA in the blood of 106 adult liver transplant recipients for at least one year post transplant. . Cell-free DNA was extracted from equal to or more than 1 mL EDTA plasma, obtained in Cell-free DNA-BCT tubes (Streck, Omaha, NE, USA). The turn-around time for an initial sample is about two days and one working day for any consecutive sample.

The teams found that in the 87 stable patients with no signs of graft injury and who were negative for hepatitis C virus infection, the median graft-derived cell-free DNA percentage decreased within the first week to a baseline level of less than 10% of total cell-free DNA concentrations. However, in the 20 patients with samples drawn during biopsy-proven acute rejection periods, graft-derived cell-free DNA levels were about 10-fold higher than those observed in the stable patients.

Overall they determined that by testing for graft-derived cell-free DNA levels of more than 10%, they were able to identify more than 90% of liver transplant patients with acute rejection, which was a substantially higher percentage than what conventional liver function tests can identify. They also believe that this test could detect heart and kidney transplant rejection, and are conducting additional studies to confirm this.

Ekkehard Schütz, MD, PhD, the senior author of the study, said, “This is really a universal test, you can use it for all kinds of solid organ transplantation since it’s just detecting the graft DNA, and it’s independent of what graft you are looking at. It will allow us to start treating these patients as early as possible, which not only impacts the acute situation that the patient is suffering at the time, but also impacts the long term survival of the graft. If we are able to diagnose rejection quickly enough, within a day or one and a half days, and the treating physician can react, then we can avoid really high-grade rejections further down the line.” The study was presented at the 68th American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting held July 31 to August 4, 2016, in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Related Links:
Chronix Biomedical
Streck
American Association of Clinical Chemistry
Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
HLX
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
Cancer Mutation Profiling Liquid Kit
OncoScreen Plus

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The study showed the blood-based cancer screening test detects 83% of people with colorectal cancer with specificity of 90% (Photo courtesy of Guardant Health)

Blood Test Shows 83% Accuracy for Detecting Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths among adults in the U.S., with forecasts suggesting 53,010 people might die from it in 2024. While fewer older adults are dying from this... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The Gazelle Hb Variant Test (Photo courtesy of Hemex Health)

First Affordable and Rapid Test for Beta Thalassemia Demonstrates 99% Diagnostic Accuracy

Hemoglobin disorders rank as some of the most prevalent monogenic diseases globally. Among various hemoglobin disorders, beta thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, affects about 1.5% of the world's... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The new platform is designed to perform blood-based diagnoses of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New Blood Test Cuts Diagnosis Time for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections from Months to Hours

Breathing in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a common experience for many people. These bacteria are present in water systems, soil, and dust all over the world and usually don't cause any problems.... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: These new assays are being developed for use on the recently introduced DxI 9000 Immunoassay Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Beckman Coulter)

Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio Expand Partnership on Neurodegenerative Disease Diagnostics

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Brea, CA, USA) and Fujirebio Diagnostics (Tokyo, Japan) have expanded their partnership focused on the development, manufacturing and clinical adoption of neurodegenerative... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.