Transplantation Diagnostics: A Preliminary Analysis Using Protein Microarray to Determine Kidney Status Prior To and Following Implantation

The need for enhanced transplant diagnostics is reflected in the numbers of unused organs as indicated by the United Network for Organ Sharing. We hypothesize that the number and quality of organs for transplant could be greatly enhanced with the inclusion of proteomic analysis. To test this prospect, we utilized the surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight system (SELDI-TOF), to identify phenomic fingerprints of porcine kidney flush solution collected following cold preservation and post-transplant protein lysates from human kidney transplant urine samples. Effluent flush solution from porcine kidneys statically stored under hypothermic conditions for 6 days yielded novel protein peaks in the 7350-15,950-Da range from day 1 to day 3 of storage, and peak intensification from day 4 to day 6. Comparison of donor (pre-transplant) and recipient (post-transplant) cellular protein extracts collected from urine samples demonstrated several peaks of differing intensities between 11,997 and 64,0...