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.

Increased risk of post-transplant diabetes mellitus despite early steroid discontinuation in Hispanic kidney transplant recipients.

Walczak DA, Calvert D, Jarzembowski TM, Testa G, Sankary HN, Thielke J, Oberholzer J, Benedetti E

Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

Early steroid discontinuation (ESD) has been associated with a lower incidence of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). We retrospectively reviewed the incidence of PTDM in relation to racial groups in kidney transplant recipients treated with ESD. Between January 2002 and September 2003, 125 consecutive primary adult kidney transplants were performed. Group A (n = 91) had steroids discontinued on postoperative day 6 and maintenance immunosuppression of Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Group B (n = 34), received the same immunosuppression but was maintained on steroids indefinitely. Induction consisted of thymoglobulin in African-Americans; all others received Simulect. At 1 yr, patient/graft survival, serum creatinine and rate of acute rejection were similar in both groups. The incidence of PTDM was significantly lower in group A (7%) compared with group B (26%, p = 0.0209). The incidence of PTDM in group A was limited to Hispanic patients with a family history of diabetes mellitus. African-Americans and Caucasians in group A did not experience PTDM (p = 0.005 compared with African-American in group B). Our steroid free protocol nearly eliminated the incidence of PTDM in African-Americans and Caucasians, but was still associated with significant rate of PTDM in Hispanic recipients. Alternative immunosuppression may benefit this population.

Published 12 July 2005 in Clin Transplant, 19(4): 527-31.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Kidney Transplant Research Today. All Rights Reserved.