Presence of donor-and-recipient-derived DNA microchimerism in the cell-free blood samples of renal transplantation recipients associates with the acceptance of transplanted kidneys.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether the existence of the donor-and recipient-derived DNA chimerism in recipient's plasma can be a predictive marker for the status of transplanted organ.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-six female patients who had been transplanted with male kidneys were enrolled in the present study. In these female recipients, the SRY(1), DYZ(1)(1st) and DYZ(1)(2nd) genes on the Y chromosome from the plasma were prospectively examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
SRY, DYZ(1)(1st) and DYZ(1)(2nd) sequences were detected in the cell-free blood (plasma) of 97 (77%) of 126 female patients with male kidney. The average time that the transplanted kidneys functioned was 8.7 years and 5.4 years among microchimerism-positive and microchimerism-negative recipients, respectively. The frequency of the patients who had acute rejection after renal transplantation was approximately 10% and 28% in microchimerism-positive and microchimerism-negative recipients, respectively. Serum creatinine levels in microchimerism-positive patients were significantly lower than those in microchimerism-negative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that plasma DNA microchimerism present in certain patients following renal transplantation and measurement of plasma DNA microchimerism using quantitative RT-PCR might be a useful predictor for the acceptance of transplanted kidneys.
Fu
Yao-Wen
YW
Renal Transplantation Center of Julin Province and Department of Urology, the China-Japan Union Hospital, Changchun 130031, China.
Wang
Wei-Gang
WG
Zhou
Hong-Lan
HL
Cai
Lu
L
D001483:Base Sequence; D001769:Blood; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002678:Chimera; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA