Combined use of myeloid-related protein 8/14 and procalcitonin as diagnostic markers for acute allograft rejection in kidney transplantation recipients

Transpl Immunol. 2008 Feb;18(4):338-43. doi: 10.1016/j.trim.2007.10.004. Epub 2007 Oct 29.

Abstract

The myeloid-related proteins 8 and 14 exist as a dimeric complex (MRP 8/14) and serve as early and highly specific markers for inflammatory processes, such as allograft rejection and non-viral (bacterial or fungal) infections. An elevated procalcitonin (PCT) concentration in serum also serves as a diagnostic indicator of non-viral infection. Therefore, by measuring both MRP 8/14 and PCT serum concentrations, one may be able to distinguish between acute allograft rejection and non-viral infections in non-rejection transplant recipients. Here, we investigated whether MRP 8/14 and PCT can function as prognostic (Study I) or diagnostic (Study II) markers for allograft rejection in renal transplant recipients. In Study I, the serum concentrations of MRP 8/14 and PCT during the first 2 weeks after transplantation did not differ between patients who did and did not suffer organ rejection within 1 year post-transplantation; these findings suggest that the MRP 8/14 and PCT parameters are not valid prognostic markers. However, in Study II, patients with acute rejection or non-rejection/non-viral infection groups displayed a significant increase in serum MRP 8/14 concentration, and non-rejection patients with non-viral infections only had elevation in the PCT serum concentrations. These results indicate that the combined use of MRP 8/14 and PCT serum concentrations can allow one to distinguish between allograft rejection and other inflammatory processes, such as infection.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Calcitonin / blood*
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
  • Calgranulin A / blood*
  • Calgranulin B / blood*
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / blood
  • Graft Rejection / diagnosis*
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Humans
  • Kidney Transplantation / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Protein Precursors / blood*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • CALCA protein, human
  • Calgranulin A
  • Calgranulin B
  • Protein Precursors
  • Calcitonin
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide