Post-transplant Diabetes Mellitus in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplantation
• Endocrinology

Background:

• De novo post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a frequent complication following kidney transplantation (KT).
• Existing research often involves single-center studies with varied outcome assessment methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate risk factors for PTDM development in kidney transplant recipients.
• To evaluate the association between PTDM and graft failure or mortality in a multicenter cohort.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study of 632 non-diabetic adult kidney recipients was conducted across 13 centers.
• PTDM was defined by HbA1c, diabetes medication, or medical record documentation.
• Regression analysis was used to assess PTDM risk factors and its association with graft outcomes.

Main Results:

• The cumulative incidence of PTDM at 5 years post-KT was 29%.
• Older recipient age and higher BMI were identified as independent baseline risk factors for PTDM.
• PTDM was not significantly associated with all-cause graft failure, death-censored graft failure, or mortality at a median follow-up of 6 years.

Conclusions:

• PTDM is a common outcome after kidney transplantation, with higher baseline BMI being a significant risk factor.
• The study found no association between PTDM and graft failure or mortality within the 6-year follow-up period, possibly due to the follow-up duration.