An Initial Analysis of the Baseline Levels of Dd-cfDNA After Pancreas Transplantation: A Prospective Study From High-volume Centers in the United States

Overview

Journal Transplant Direct

Publisher Wolters Kluwer

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2023 Mar 20

PMID 36935870

Authors

Ashley Yoo

Alexandria Riedel

Ian Qian

Amanda Bartosic

Rudi Soltani

Gulam Kibria

Abdolreza Haririan

Cinthia B Drachenberg

Peter L Abrams

Jon S Odorico

Matthew Cooper

Jonathan S Bromberg

Joseph R Scalea

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Methods: One hundred eighty-one dd-cfDNA samples (n) were collected from 77 patients (N) up to 132 mo posttransplant.

Results: The median dd-cfDNA level among all subjects was 0.28% (0.13%, 0.71%). In simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant recipients, the median dd-cfDNA level was 0.29% (0.13%, 0.71%), and it was 0.23% (0.08%, 0.71%) in pancreas transplant alone (PTA) recipients. When isolating for when without infection or rejection, the median dd-cfDNA level was 0.28% (0.13%, 0.64%) for SPK and 0.20% (0.00%, 0.32%) for PTA. Both transplant types approached 1.0% ≤1 mo posttransplant followed by a decrease in median dd-cfDNA. During episodes of rejection or infection, median dd-cfDNA levels were greater among all transplant types.

Conclusions: The mean dd-cfDNA level for all pancreas transplant recipients is <1.0%, consistent with the published kidney transplant rejection threshold (>1.0%), regardless of SPK or PTA. Early posttransplant dd-cfDNA levels are transiently higher than later measurements. Dd-cfDNA elevation also correlates with rejection and infection and thus is a promising biomarker for surveilling pancreas transplant dysfunction.

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