Blood Biomarkers in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

Use of Blood Gene Expression Profile and Donor-derived Cell-free DNA to Monitor Response to Treatment After Biopsy-proven Acute Rejection in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

The objective of the proposed study is to assess whether a blood biomarker can be used to monitor the response to rejection treatment in pediatric kidney transplant recipients with biopsy-proven acute cellular or antibody mediated rejection. The study hypothesizes that blood gene expression profile and donor-derived cell-free DNA biomarkers (omnigraf) can be used to predict acute rejection and monitor its response to treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Kidney transplant recipients
• Participants undergoing a for-cause kidney biopsy to rule out graft rejection
• Ages 21 years and less

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants who have opted out of research
• Patients, less than 18 years of age, whose parents or legal guardians are illiterate and cannot read.
• Participants, 18 years and older, who are illiterate and cannot read.
• Participants, less than 18 years of age, whose parents or legal guardians do not speak English.
• Participants, 18 years and older, who do not speak English
• Participants who are pregnant as confirmed by medical records