Minimally and Non-invasive Approaches to Rejection Identification in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation

Objective

Rejection is common and pernicious following Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA). Current monitoring and diagnostic modalities include the clinical exam which is subjective and biopsy with dermatohistopathologic Banff grading, which is subjective and invasive. We reviewed literature exploring non- and minimally invasive modalities for diagnosing and monitoring rejection (NIMMs) in VCA.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were queried, 3125 unique articles were reviewed, yielding 26 included studies exploring 17 distinct NIMMs. Broadly, NIMMs involved Imaging, Liquid Biomarkers, Epidermal Sampling, Clinical Grading Scales, and Introduction of Additional Donor Tissue.

Results

Serum biomarkers including MMP3 and donor-derived microparticles rose with rejection onset. Epidermal sampling non-invasively enabled measurement of cytokine & gene expression profiles implicated in rejection. Both hold promise for monitoring. Clinical grading scales were useful diagnostically as was reflection confocal microscopy. Introducing additional donor tissue showed promise for preemptively identifying rejection but requires additional allograft tissue burden for the recipient.

Conclusion

NIMMs have the potential to dramatically improve monitoring and diagnosis in VCA. Many modalities show promise however, additional research is needed and a multimodal algorithmic approach should be explored.