Biliary neopterin for differentiation between liver allograft rejection and viral graft infection

Abstract

Differential diagnosis between rejection and infection of a liver graft still represents a major problem. Rising concentrations of neopterin in serum or urine sensitively indicate rejection or infectious complications after renal, cardiac or bone marrow transplantation [3]. Neopterin has been shown to be even more sensitive when measured locally, e.g. in the pancreatic juice of patients after pancreas allotransplantation [1]. In the present study, we measured urinary and, for the first time, biliary neopterin concentrations in nine liver allograft recipients during the early post-transplant period.