Kidney Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Kidney Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Pancreas islet transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus after kidney transplantation.

Gonzalez Molina M, Alonso A, Briones R, Fernandez N, Caballero A, Miranda JM, Navarro A, Castro MJ, Burgos D, Cabello M, Sola E, Escaño A, Muñoz J, Aranda J, De la Fuente A

Department of Nephrology, Hospital Carlos Haya, Malaga, Spain. cotraspa.hch.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es

Diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease have a high mortality rate. A combined kidney-pancreas transplant is associated with greater life expectancy. Pancreas islet transplantation is an alternative involving a lower degree of morbidity. We present two patients, of 41 and 37 years of age, with a long history of diabetes mellitus (C-peptide negative), both with a previous kidney transplant, who had been treated with 22 and 28 U of insulin/d, respectively. Both patients had frequent episodes of unawareness hypoglycemia. Pancreatic islets were infused to a total of 7809 and 19,180 IE/kg, respectively. Basal posttransplant C peptide levels were 2.9 and 1.3 ng/mL. After the implant, one patient required occasional doses of insulin, and the other patient more than 50% reduced dose. After the first implant neither patient had any episodes of unawareness hypoglycemia. HbA1c at 4 months were 6.2% and 6.9%. There were no transplant-related complications.

Published 3 May 2005 in Transplant Proc, 37(3): 1443-5.
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