TRIADD: The Transplant Related Immunity and Diagnostic DNA study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A novel non-invasive diagnostic approach to assess kidney transplant health through the targeted measurement of biomarkers of kidney injury and immune response in kidney transplant recipients at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

  • IRAS ID

    302423

  • Contact name

    Sarah Hall

  • Contact email

    leedsth-tr.researchgovernance@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 28 days

  • Research summary

    The TRIADD study aims to address an unmet need to improve monitoring of kidney health, post-transplant. \n\nPost-transplant management is challenging. The donor kidney may undergo injury caused by either an infection or the patient’s own immune system. Current monitoring is sub-optimal; it cannot determine the cause of injury, is often poor at providing an early indication that there is a problem and can be inaccurate. \n\nThere is clearly a need to optimise post-transplant management. Kidney transplant patients from the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust will be invited to participate in the TRIADD study, which broadly aims to better predict donor kidney rejection. We propose that by measuring the levels of two novel biomarkers in patients post-transplant, we will be able to accurately monitor the health of the transplanted kidney. In addition to patients undergoing kidney transplant, we will also recruit two additional control groups: patients with autoimflammatory disease and also healthy participants. \n\nAligning with routine care, the TRIADD study will collect blood and/or urine samples from study participants, to enable the measurement of cell free DNA (cfDNA) and cytokines. At the point of acute kidney injury, cfDNA is released from the donor organ, into the patient’s blood. Cytokine release, triggering an immune response, can be measured and profiled in the laboratory. Cytokine profiling may help to distinguish between the different types of kidney injury. \n\nBy monitoring the levels of cfDNA and cytokines in parallel, it is hoped that the presentation and cause of kidney injury can be identified at an earlier stage.

  • REC name

    South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/SW/0117

  • Date of REC Opinion

    1 Sep 2022

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion