The value of serum neopterin, interferon-gamma levels and interleukin-12B polymorphisms in predicting acute renal allograft rejection

<jats:title>Summary</jats:title> <jats:p>Acute rejection remains a poor predictor of graft outcome. In this study, we measured serum levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and neopterin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the 3′ untranslated region of the interleukin (IL)-12 B gene (1188 A/C) to determine whether either of these factors could predict acute rejection in renal transplantation. Significantly higher early post-transplant neopterin levels (days 5–7; 35·7 versus 19·9 nmol/l) were observed in recipients who subsequently rejected their grafts. Post-transplant neopterin levels showed a strong positive correlation with 1-month creatinine levels (Spearman's correlation 0·62, P &amp;lt; 0·001), suggesting macrophage activation early after transplantation. Pretransplant neopterin and IFN-γ levels and the IL-12B gene SNP did not predict acute rejection in this small retrospective study. The ability to predict acute rejection non-invasively early after transplantation could lead to individual tailoring of immunosuppressive regimens and perhaps lead eventually to longer graft survival.</jats:p>