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Endothelial function after pancreas transplantation-A single-center observational study.
Espen Nordheim1,2, Dag Olav Dahle1, Thea Halden1
1Department of Transplantation Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Clinical Transplantation
|February 7, 2020
Summary
Pancreas transplantation (PTX) recipients show well-preserved endothelial function, comparable to healthy individuals. Immunosuppressive drugs used post-PTX do not impair this function, with improvements observed over time.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation immunology
- Vascular biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Successful pancreas transplantation (PTX) normalizes hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.
- However, immunosuppressive drugs post-PTX may negatively impact endothelial function.
- This study investigates endothelial function in single PTX recipients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate endothelial function in patients who have undergone pancreas transplantation.
- To determine if immunosuppressive therapy affects endothelial function after PTX.
- To compare endothelial function in PTX recipients with various control groups.
Main Methods:
- Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured using ultrasound.
- Single PTX recipients (n=27) were compared to healthy controls (n=58), simultaneous pancreas and kidney recipients (n=9), and kidney transplant recipients with (n=41) and without (n=95) diabetes.
- FMD changes were assessed from 8 weeks to 1 year post-transplantation in a subgroup of PTX recipients (n=9).
Main Results:
- Endothelial function (FMD%) in PTX recipients was not inferior to healthy controls (8.7% vs 7.7%, P=0.06).
- FMD% in PTX recipients was superior to kidney transplant recipients with (3.0%) and without (4.8%) diabetes (P < 0.005).
- FMD% significantly improved from 8 weeks to 1 year post-PTX (7.9% vs 11.8%, P=0.03).
Conclusions:
- Endothelial function is well-preserved in patients following pancreas transplantation.
- Immunosuppressive drugs do not appear to impair endothelial function in PTX recipients.
- Endothelial function shows improvement over the first year after pancreas transplantation.
