46: Idenification of cardiac allograft rejection using Raman spectrophotometry

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of care after cardiac transplantation is to prevent allograft rejection and minmize immunosuppressive side effects. Currently, the mainstay for rejection surveillance is endomyocardial biopsy which is invasive, expensive, subject to sampling error, inter-observer variability, and causes morbidity and mortality. Development of new methods that allow less invasive rejection monitoring is desirable. Raman spectrophotometry (RS) is an optical technique based on laser photon scattering by molecular vibrations of biopolymers which provide chemical fingerprints of various tissues without fixation or use of labels.