Kidney transplantation is a good treatment option for people with kidney disease. However, there is still much to learn about how to best care for the transplanted kidney and keep it working for a long time. One field of interest is how one's cellular make-up might affect the body's immune response (body's natural defense system to illness and foreign things) to a kidney transplant. Cellular tests, like gene expression, help doctors to study a person's cellular traits. Gene expression is when information found in one's DNA is translated into RNA and eventually proteins. These components are present in each of the body's cells. In this study, researchers are trying to learn if certain changes in the RNA and proteins found in blood, urine, or transplant biopsy tissue can detect rejection before injury can occur or become too severe. The blood and urine tests will look for patterns in one's DNA (called genetic markers).
This study will follow subjects for 2 years after transplant. There will be a total of 12 study visits with additional study visits if rejection occurs. The study requires additional samples of blood, urine, and tissue to be collected during routine clinical visits and biopsies (a procedure to remove and examine a small piece of kidney tissue).
