Study: Simple Test May Identify Kidney Recipients at High Risk of Rejection

A simple test may help identify kidney transplant recipients who are at higher risk of rejecting their newly transplanted organ, according to Stanford School of Medicine researchers.

In a study involving 60 children who received kidney transplants, the researchers used DNA microarrays to examine gene patterns in biopsy samples taken from transplanted organs that were functioning normally andfrom organs that had gone into rejection.

They reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that they were able to divide episodes of acute rejection into at least three subgroups.

In one of the three subgroups associated with particularly poor outcomes, the researchers ultimately identified clusters of B cells -- a type of immune cell previously not thought to play a significant role in rejection.

"The presence of dense clusters of B cells in a biopsy sample was strongly associated with severe graft rejection, suggesting a pivotal role of infiltrating B cells in acute rejection," the researchers concluded.

Dr. Minnie Sarwal, who led the study, said that if researchers can go on to figure out which of the more serious rejections are due to these B cells, they can perhaps use antibodies to specifically wipe out B cells in these transplant recipients.

Other Sources: New England Journal of Medicine