RNA Expression Analysis of Antibody Mediated Rejection after Heart Transplant with or without Donor Specific Antibodies

These studies demonstrate that RNA expression profiling can be performed on endomyocardial biopsy tissue preserved in paraffin from the time of a rejection episode and that different expression patterns are observed dependent on the criteria used to diagnose AMR. In particular, AMR in the presence of DSA showed a different RNA expression profile than AMR without DSAs. The RNA expression associated with histological markers of AMR also appeared different than that associated with immunological markers. Overall, our findings suggest the existence of different subtypes of AMR that may rely on distinct mechanisms of injury.