Recent Advancements in the Assessment of Renal Transplant Dysfunction with an Emphasis on Microarray Molecular Diagnostics

Abstract

Conventional assessment of renal transplant rejection and injury through use of histology, C4d staining, and HLA antibody testing, has been the standard approach to transplant management. By many measures, these methods of conventional assessment may be considered flawed, particularly with the subjective nature of histologic diagnoses. The Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Center has developed the Molecular Microscope diagnostic system, which uses microarrays to measure gene expression. These data are analyzed using classifiers (weighted equations) that compare the tested biopsy to a proprietary reference set of biopsies to provide objective measures of the status of the renal transplant.

Keywords: Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR); Microarray; Molecular diagnostics; Molecular microscope; Renal transplant; T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR).