Validation of a Clinical-Grade Assay to Measure Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

The use of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a biomarker in transplant recipients offers advantages over invasive tissue biopsy as a quantitative measure for detection of transplant rejection and immunosuppression optimization. However, the fraction of donor-derived cfDNA (dd-cfDNA) in transplant recipient plasma is low and challenging to quantify. Previously reported methods to measure dd-cfDNA require donor and recipient genotyping, which is impractical in clinical settings and adds cost. We developed a targeted next-generation sequencing assay that uses 266 single-nucleotide polymorphisms to accurately quantify dd-cfDNA in transplant recipients without separate genotyping.

Source: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics - October 6, 2016 Category: Pathology Authors: Marica Grskovic, David J. Hiller, Lane A. Eubank, John J. Sninsky, Cindy Christopherson, John P. Collins, Kathryn Thompson, Mindy Song, Yue S. Wang, David Ross, Mitchell J. Nelles, James P. Yee, Judith C. Wilber, Maria G. Crespo-Leiro, Susan L. Scott, Rob Tags: Regular Article Source Type: research