Revolutionary Blood Test for Heart Transplant Success
A blood test can show whether a new heart is tolerated by the recipient and not rejected. This has been shown in a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.? This means that heart transplant recipients can often avoid having tissue samples taken from their heart.This thesis reveals how small DNA fragments from the donor heart in the patient’s blood can be used to rule out rejection. The study includes 94 patients, both adults and children. The DNA fragments are analyzed using a new method (droplet digital PCR). “The results are so clear that the new method will start to be used on patients, including those who have already had a heart transplant.?We see in the study that DNA levels were usually very low, and that levels rose during rejection. This means that we can rule out rejection with a…







