title: Presence of donor- and recipient-derived DNA in cell-free urine samples of renal transplantation recipients: urinary DNA chimerism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have indicated that microchimerism is present in body tissues, peripheral blood, and plasma of recipients after organ transplantation. We hypothesize that donor-derived DNA may also be present in cell-free urine of renal transplant recipients and that the concentrations of urine DNA may be correlated with graft rejection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one female patients who had renal transplantation were enrolled in the study. In women with male organ donors, the SRY gene on the Y chromosome was used as a marker for donor-derived DNA. Real-time quantitative PCR for the SRY and beta-globin genes was carried out on cell-free urinary DNA from these patients. Serial urine samples from a female renal transplant recipient undergoing an acute rejection episode were also collected and analyzed with the beta-globin quantitative PCR system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SRY sequences were detected in the urine of 14 of 17 female patients with male organ donors. None of the 14 patients with female organ donors had detectable SRY sequences in urinary DNA. The median fractional concentration of donor-derived DNA was 8.7% (interquartile range, 1.9-26.4%). During the acute rejection episode, urinary concentrations of the beta-globin gene were markedly increased, with the concentrations returning rapidly to normal following antirejection treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that urinary DNA chimerism is present following renal transplantation. The measurement of urinary DNA using quantitative PCR may be useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of graft rejection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012737:Sex Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004247:DNA