title: Genetic polymorphisms and kidney transplant outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gene polymorphism studies are growing at a quasiexponential rate and aim to improve immediate and long-term outcomes in renal transplantation. This review highlights recent evidence and potential future directions for genetic research studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Studies are largely based on immunity, inflammation and pharmacogenetics, investigating mostly 'surrogate' outcomes with sometimes conflicting results. However, the last 12 months has also heralded the emergence of important genome-wide association studies on transplantation, more robust replicated multicentre analyses of candidate gene variants, meta-analyses, and an increasing interest in copy number variation and donor genetics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies set the scene for further investigation, aiming to understand pathways of disease and biomarkers of risk, and are leading to a greater understanding of the biology of transplantation. Future studies will require focus on donor : recipient and gene : environment interactions, and an integrated approach of 'transplantomics' to evaluate long-term outcomes in multinational collaborations.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham bCentre for Translational Inflammation Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK cRegional Nephrology Unit, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Sourabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chand
authors.forename: Amy Jayne
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McKnight
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrows
mesh_terms: D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents