title: Novel diagnostics in renal transplantation.
abstract: Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for many patients with end stage renal disease. While significant progress has been achieved in short-term outcomes, long-term graft survival has only marginally improved. More than 50% of transplanted kidneys from deceased donors fail within ten years; and from living donors, within 12 years. A lack of clinical tools to accurately monitor the allograft is a major causative factor in this lack of progress. This paper discusses newly available methods used to assess allograft status with emphasis on the role of circulating chimerism in renal transplantation as a diagnostic indicator for rejection and injury.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Division; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; University of Washington; Seattle, WA USA.
authors.forename: Niamh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kieran
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muczynski
authors.forename: Vijayakrishna Vk
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Gadi