Continuous Insulin Therapy to Prevent Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hyperglycemia is frequently observed early after transplantation and associated with development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). Here, we assessed continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) targeting afternoon hyperglycemia.

Open-label randomized parallel 3-arm design.

In total, 85 kidney transplant recipients without previous diabetes diagnosis were randomized to postoperative CSII therapy, basal insulin, or control.

Insulin was to be initiated at afternoon capillary blood glucose level of ≥140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L; CSII and basal insulin) or fasting plasma glucose level of ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L; control).

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels at 3 months post-transplant (primary endpoint). PTDM assessed using oral glucose tolerance test at 12 and 24 months.

CSII therapy lasted until median day 18 and maximum day 88. The median HbA1c value at month 3 was 5.6% (38 mmol/mol) in the CSII group versus 5.7% (39 mmol/mol) in the control group (P = 0.70) and 5.4% (36 mmol/mol) in the basal insulin group (P = 0.02). At months 12 and 24, the odds for PTDM were similar compared with the control group (odds ratios [95% confidence intervals], 0.80 [0.18-3.49] and 0.71 [0.15-3.16], respectively) and the basal insulin group (0.96 [0.18-5.68] and 1.51 [0.24-12.84], respectively). Mild hypoglycemia events occurred in the CSII and the basal insulin groups.

This study is limited by outdated insulin pump technology, frequent discontinuations of CSII, a complex protocol, and concerns regarding reliability of HbA1c measurements.

CSII therapy was not superior at reducing HbA1c levels at month 3 or PTDM prevalence at months 12 and 24 compared with the control or basal insulin group.