The primary goal of this Multicenter Study is to develop and to evaluate a method for measuring donor-specific cell free DNA in blood samples from transplant recipients as markers of rejection. Blood samples obtained periodically from heart transplant recipients are assessed for cell free DNA relative to clinical data in order to determine whether changes in the level of cell free DNA indicate rejection. This research study proposes testing a blood sample obtained from the heart transplant recipient. The research seeks to establish whether this blood test will show when the patient is beginning to or already rejecting the transplanted heart. BACKGROUND Identifying if a transplant patient is beginning to or already rejecting the heart is necessary, so that appropriate treatment can be started to halt the rejection. Heart catheterization with biopsy is the usual method used for assessing whether a patient may be rejecting the heart. There are also a number of other methods that transplant physicians will use to look for signs of rejection including other blood tests, echocardiograms, obtaining pressure readings during heart catheterization, and micro-array testing of blood obtained during biopsy. These technologies are limited in ability to consistently and accurately identify the presence of rejection. The usual method of checking for rejection involves obtaining a sample of the heart tissue (heart biopsy); biopsy can only be accomplished through heart catheterization which is an invasive procedure that has risks associated with disturbing the heart such as puncturing the heart or causing the heart rate to change or damaging tissue in the heart. Overtime, repeating this invasive procedure can diminish the ease of the procedure because the veins can become scarred and more difficult to access. For these reasons, researchers believe that it would be good to have a blood test that gives information about the possibility of rejection so that it may not be necessary to do as many heart biopsies. Also, a blood test may be able to provide information about the heart or about rejection that is currently not available at all.
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The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Assay and laboratory protocol development and optimization.
Timeframe: Year 1-5