Amelioration of cardiac morphology and function in type 1 diabetic patients with sustained success of pancreas transplant alone

Treating Type 1 Diabetes by Pancreas Transplant Alone: A Cohort Study on Actual Long-term (10 Years) Efficacy and Safety

BACKGROUND

Physiologically regulated insulin secretion and euglycemia are achievable in type 1 diabetes (T1D) by islet or pancreas transplantation. However, pancreas transplant alone (PTA) remains a debated approach, with uncertainties on its relative benefits and risks. We determined the actual long-term (10 y) efficacy and safety of PTA in carefully characterized T1D subjects.

METHODS

This is a single-center, cohort study in 66 consecutive T1D subjects who received a PTA between April 2001 and December 2007, and were then all followed until 10 y since transplant. Main features evaluated were patient survival, pancreas graft function, C-peptide levels, glycemic parameters, and the function of the native kidneys.

RESULTS

Ten-year actual patient survival was 92.4%. Optimal (insulin independence) or good (minimal insulin requirement) graft function was observed in 57.4% and 3.2% of patients, respectively. Six (9.0%) patients developed stage 5 or 4 chronic kidney disease. In the remaining individuals bearing a successful PTA, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline per year was -2.29 ± 2.69 mL/min/1.73 m2. Reduction of eGFR at 1 y post-PTA was higher in those with pre-PTA hyperfiltration and higher HbA1c concentrations; eGFR changes afterward significantly correlated with diabetes duration. In recipients with normoglycemia at 10 y, 74% of normoalbuminuric or microalbuminuric subjects pre-PTA remained stable, and 26% progressed toward a worse stage; conversely, in 62.5% of the macroalbuminuric individuals albuminuria severity regressed.

CONCLUSIONS

These long-term effects of PTA on patient survival, graft function, and the native kidneys support PTA as a suitable approach to treat diabetes in selected T1D patients.

Glucose as a modifiable cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: Insights from type 1 diabetes and transplantation

Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease. In contrast to the clear benefits from treatments which reduce blood pressure and lipids, clinical trials targeting blood glucose have not shown clear CV benefits. Interventions to intensify glycemic control early in the course of diabetes may have benefits in long term observational studies (DCCT-EDIC/UKPDS), but may not be helpful if introduced late in the course of type 2 diabetes (ACCORD, ADVANCE, VA-DT). More recent CVOT in high risk subjects suggest that the benefits of SGLT2 and GLP1-RA are glucose-independent. Type 1 diabetes provides a "cleaner" model to study the links between glucose and cardiovascular disease. Abnormalities of glucose regulation in type 1 diabetes is not restricted to hyperglycemia, but includes glycemic variability and hypoglycemia. Increasingly the mechanisms linking glycemic variability and hypoglycemia as key mediators of cardiovascular complications are being understood. Furthermore, data from pancreas and islet transplantation showing reduced cardiovascular mortality and regression of intima-media thickness supports a causal role for glucose in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but suggests that restoration of normal glucose regulation may be required to demonstrate substantial impact on CV risk accrued over decades of type 1 diabetes. Considering the limited organ supply and risks of immunosuppression, advances in biology (stem cell derived beta cells) or technology (automated insulin delivery systems) will be required to provide a scalable solution to deliver optimal glucose control and reduce CV risk for people with type 1 diabetes.

First World Consensus Conference on pancreas transplantation: Part II - recommendations

The First World Consensus Conference on Pancreas Transplantation provided 49 jury deliberations regarding the impact of pancreas transplantation on the treatment of diabetic patients, and 110 experts' recommendations for the practice of pancreas transplantation. The main message from this consensus conference is that both simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) and pancreas transplantation alone can improve long-term patient survival, and all types of pancreas transplantation dramatically improve the quality of life of recipients. Pancreas transplantation may also improve the course of chronic complications of diabetes, depending on their severity. Therefore, the advantages of pancreas transplantation appear to clearly surpass potential disadvantages. Pancreas after kidney transplantation increases the risk of mortality only in the early period after transplantation, but is associated with improved life expectancy thereafter. Additionally, preemptive SPK, when compared to SPK performed in patients undergoing dialysis, appears to be associated with improved outcomes. Time on dialysis has negative prognostic implications in SPK recipients. Increased long-term survival, improvement in the course of diabetic complications, and amelioration of quality of life justify preferential allocation of kidney grafts to SPK recipients. Audience discussions and live voting are available online at the following URL address: http://mediaeventi.unipi.it/category/1st-world-consensus-conference-of-pancreas-transplantation/246.

Islet Transplantation Alone Versus Solitary Pancreas Transplantation: an Outcome-Driven Choice?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In patients with type 1 diabetes with extreme glycemic variability, the restoration of pancreas endocrine function is potentially and completely achieved with islets of Langerhans (tissue derived from whole organ) or pancreas (whole organ) transplantation. The aim of our review is to report on the latest studies and to highlight the benefits and risks of the two procedures, providing clearer, more selective, evidence-based clinical indications that also consider the impact on the degenerative complications of diabetes as a potential benefit.

RECENT FINDINGS

Clinical experience in this field has been dynamic over the last three decades, and has been characterized by the development of more standardized protocols and a clearer definition of clinical outcome. On the contrary, the recommendations thus far are not well delineated and tend to overlap, and the past ADA position statement for pancreas transplant alone has also been applied to islet transplant alone, without differentiation. Both outcome-driven and non-outcome-driven criteria are considered in the conclusions, in an attempt to streamline indications for islet-alone or pancreas-alone transplantation.

Long-term diabetes complications after pancreas transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The intention of this study is to summarize present knowledge about adverse effects of hyperglycemia in diabetes, and in this context review more recent data concerning the effects of pancreas transplantation on a wide range of diabetic complications.

RECENT FINDINGS

Effective blood glucose control by insulin delays progression of microvascular complications and probably improves survival in type 1 diabetes. A successful pancreas transplantation combined with a kidney graft has recently been found to prevent diabetic kidney lesions, and registry data support improved long-term patient survival. Cardiovascular mortality was reduced in one study, even though coronary heart disease was not significantly altered. Advanced coronary lesions may be too advanced in these patients at baseline. However, with a successful single pancreas transplant, which is generally performed in patients with near-normal kidney function, pancreas transplantation may improve left ventricular function. Development of retinopathy and neuropathy is delayed with functioning pancreas grafts, and both quality of life and certain skin lesions may improve after pancreas transplantation.

SUMMARY

In patients with type 1 diabetes, pancreas transplantation may improve cardiac outcomes and ameliorate diabetic lesions in the kidney transplant. Also quality of life, neuropathy, retinopathy, and healing of certain skin lesions may be improved.

Cardiac Assessment of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Median 10 Years After Successful Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation Compared With Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND

In recipients with type 1 diabetes, we aimed to determine whether long-term normoglycemia achieved by successful simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplantation could beneficially affect progression of coronary artery disease (CAD) when compared with transplantation of a kidney-alone from a living donor (LDK).

METHODS

In 42 kidney transplant recipients with functioning grafts who had received either SPK (n = 25) or LDK (n = 17), we studied angiographic progression of CAD between baseline (pretransplant) and follow-up at 7 years or older. In addition, computed tomography scans for measures of coronary artery calcification and echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic function were addressed at follow-up.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up time of 10.1 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.1-11.5) progression of CAD occurred at similar rates (10 of 21 cases in the SPK and 5 of 14 cases in the LDK group; P = 0.49). Median coronary artery calcification scores were high in both groups (1767 [IQR, 321-4035] for SPK and 1045 [IQR, 807-2643] for LDK patients; P = 0.59). Left ventricular systolic function did not differ between the 2 groups. The SPK and LDK recipients were similar in age (41.2 ± 6.9 years vs 40.5 ± 10.3 years; P = 0.80) and diabetes duration at engraftment but with significant different mean HbA1c levels of 5.5 ± 0.4% for SPK and 8.3 ± 1.5% for LDK patients (P < 0.001) during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with both type 1 diabetes and end-stage renal disease, SPK recipients had similar progression of CAD long-term compared with LDK recipients. Calcification of coronary arteries is a prominent feature in both groups long-term posttransplant.