Anticipating the side effects of benznidazole: HLA-B*35 and patch test.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of Chagas disease frequently causes distress to patients due to a high incidence of adverse effects. Different preemptive tests have been researched to prevent these effects and to allow focus to be given to certain predisposed patients. Benznidazole is the most prescribed Chagas disease treatment in Spain. In this work, we analyzed the genetic markers HLA-B*35 allele group and HLA-B*35:05 allele specifically, as well as an allergy patch test, as benznidazole's most frequent adverse effects are cutaneous. METHODS: HLA-B intermediate-resolution genotyping was performed followed by a high-resolution level analysis. Cutaneous allergies were tested using strips impregnated with a mixture of benznidazole and placed on the upper back of patients before starting treatment. RESULTS: In our sample of more than 400 patients, there was almost no relationship between any kind of side effect and either of the HLA-B alleles studied. The patch testing was quickly discarded as a preemptive test due to its low sensitivity (16.7%). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we were unable to replicate and corroborate genetic markers identified by other groups and there is currently no test that can anticipate the adverse effects of benznidazole, therefore, more investigation should be carried out in this field.

MicroRNAs as Potential Graft Rejection or Tolerance Biomarkers and Their Dilemma in Clinical Routines Behaving like Devilish, Angelic, or Frightening Elements.

Allograft rejection is a widespread complication in allograft recipients with chronic kidney disease. Undertreatment of subclinical and clinical rejection and later post-transplant problems are caused by an imperfect understanding of the mechanisms at play and a lack of adequate diagnostic tools. Many different biomarkers have been analyzed and proposed to detect and monitor these crucial events in transplant outcomes. In this sense, microRNAs may help diagnose rejection or tolerance and indicate appropriate treatment, especially in patients with chronic allograft rejection. As key epigenetic regulators of physiological homeostasis, microRNAs have therapeutic potential and may indicate allograft tolerance or rejection. However, more evidence and clinical validation are indispensable before microRNAs are ready for clinical prime time.

All That Glitters in cfDNA Analysis Is Not Gold or Its Utility Is Completely Established Due to Graft Damage: A Critical Review in the Field of Transplantation.

In kidney transplantation, a biopsy is currently the gold standard for monitoring the transplanted organ. However, this is far from an ideal screening method given its invasive nature and the discomfort it can cause the patient. Large-scale studies in renal transplantation show that approximately 1% of biopsies generate major complications, with a risk of macroscopic hematuria greater than 3.5%. It would not be until 2011 that a method to detect donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) employing digital PCR was devised based on analyzing the differences in SNPs between the donor and recipient. In addition, since the initial validation studies were carried out at the specific moments in which rejection was suspected, there is still not a good understanding of how dd-cfDNA levels naturally evolve post-transplant. In addition, various factors, both in the recipient and the donor, can influence dd-cfDNA levels and cause increases in the levels of dd-cfDNA themselves without suspicion of rejection. All that glitters in this technology is not gold; therefore, in this article, we discuss the current state of clinical studies, the benefits, and disadvantages.