Genomic blood test predicts survival rates after surgery for advanced heart failure

UCLA HealthDr. Mario DengFINDINGSAn experimental blood test developed at UCLA that uses gene activity data from immune cells was 93 percent accurate in predicting survival rates for people with advanced heart failure who had surgery to implant mechanical circulatory support devices.BACKGROUNDMechanical circulatory support devices, such as ventricular assist devices and temporary total artificial hearts, can be surgically implanted in people with advanced heart failure to help the heart ’s pumping function.But people with advanced heart failure often also suffer from multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, which can lead to death after a device is implanted and is associated with atypical white blood cell activity. When patients and doctors are considering a mechanical assist device, current clinical methods used to predict treatment results have limitations: They do not perform well in very sick patients and they do not use  molecular information. That lack of precision in predicting treatment outcomes can complicate the shared decision-making process between patients and their doctors.Dr. Mario Deng, the study ’s principal investigator, was also a co-developer of anFDA-approved molecular blood test called AlloMap, which is used to diagnose organ rejection in heart transplant recipients. The technology used in the new study, called MyLeukoMap, builds on the methods used in developing AlloMap.METHODThe study involved 29 people with advanced heart failure who underwent mechanica...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news