title: Monitoring of transplanted liver health by quantification of organ-specific genomic marker in circulating DNA from receptor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health assessment of the transplanted organ is very important due to the relationship of long-term survival of organ transplant recipients and health organ maintenance. Nowadays, the measurement of cell-free DNA from grafts in the circulation of transplant recipients has been considered a potential biomarker of organ rejection or transplant associated complications in an attempt to replace or reduce liver biopsy. However, methods developed to date are expensive and extremely time-consuming. Our approach was to measure the SRY gene, as a male organ biomarker, in a setting of sex-mismatched female recipients of male donor organs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell-free DNA quantization of the SRY gene was performed by real-time quantitative PCR beforehand, at the moment of transplantation during reperfusion (day 0) and during the stay at the intensive care unit. Beta-globin cell-free DNA levels, a general cellular damage marker, were also quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Beta-globin mean values of patients, who accepted the graft without any complications during the first week after surgery, diminished from day 0 until patient stabilization. This decrease was not so evident in patients who suffered some kind of post-transplantation complications. All patients showed an increase in SRY levels at day 0, which decreased during hospitalization. Different complications that did not compromise donated organs showed increased beta-globin levels but no SRY gene levels. However, when a donated organ was damaged the patients exhibited high levels of both genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of a SRY gene in a female recipient's serum is a clear and specific biomarker of donated organs and may give us important information about graft health in a short period of time by a non-expensive technique. This approach may permit clinicians to maintain a close follow up of the transplanted patient.
authors.affiliation: Dpt. of Clinical Biochemistry, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Hada C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Macher
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Unit, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suárez-Artacho
authors.affiliation: Dpt. of Clinical Biochemistry, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Unit, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez-Bravo
authors.affiliation: Dpt. of Clinical Biochemistry, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Unit, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernal-Bellido
authors.affiliation: Dpt. of Clinical Biochemistry, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Pascual
authors.affiliation: Dpt. of Clinical Biochemistry, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein / Q000097:blood; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D055544:beta-Globins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C497745:SRY protein, human; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D055544:beta-Globins; D004247:DNA