Microbial surveillance during human pancreatic islet isolation

Area of Science:

• Transplantation immunology
• Microbiology
• Cellular biology

Background:

• Islet isolation and transplantation are critical for treating type 1 diabetes.
• Microbiological safety is paramount to prevent complications and ensure graft survival.
• Pancreas procurement and transport are potential sources of microbial contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the microbiological safety of islet isolation and transplantation.
• To identify the prevalence and types of microbial contamination in procured pancreata.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a decontamination protocol in reducing microbial burden.

Main Methods:

• Prospective microbiological screening of pancreata and transport media from 1996-2002.
• Comparison of islet preparations from pancreata washed with Hanks solution versus those decontaminated with antiseptic/antimicrobial agents.
• Analysis of microbial contaminants including gram-positive organisms, gram-negative organisms, and fungi.

Main Results:

• 62% of pancreas preservation media showed microbial contamination.
• Longer transport duration correlated with increased bacterial contamination.
• Pancreas decontamination reduced contamination rates in final islet preparations from 9.4% to 4.4%.

Conclusions:

• High rates of microbial contamination occur during pancreas procurement and transport.
• Pancreas decontamination effectively diminishes the bio-burden.
• Decontamination reduces the risk of contamination in the final islet preparation, improving microbiological safety.