AUTHOR=Novo Mirza , Nordén Rickard , Westin Johan , Dellgren Göran , Böhmer Jens , Ricksten Anne , Magnusson Jesper M. 

TITLE=Donor Fractions of Cell-Free DNA Are Elevated During CLAD But Not During Infectious Complications After Lung Transplantation

JOURNAL=Transplant International

VOLUME=Volume 37 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/transplant-international/articles/10.3389/ti.2024.12772

DOI=10.3389/ti.2024.12772

ISSN=1432-2277

ABSTRACT=During the last few years, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a possible non-invasive biomarker for predicCon of complicaCons aDer lung transplantaCon. We previously published a proof-of-concept study using a digital droplet polymerase chain reacCon (ddPCR)-based method for detecCon of cfDNA. In the current study, we aimed to further evaluate the potenCal clinical usefulness of detecCng chronic lung allograD dysfuncCon (CLAD) using three different ddPCR applicaCons measuring and calculaCng the donor fracCon (DF) of cfDNA as well as one method using the absolute amount of donor-derived cfDNA. We analyzed 246 serum samples collected from 26 lung transplant recipients. Nine of the paCents had ongoing CLAD at some point during follow-up. All four methods showed staCsCcally significant elevaCon of the measured variable in the CLAD samples compared to the non-CLAD samples. The results support the use of ddPCR-detected cfDNA as a potenCal biomarker for predicCon of CLAD. These findings need to be validated in a subsequent prospecCve study.