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Clinical islet transplantation experience of the University of California Islet Transplant Consortium
F C Brunicardi1, A Atiya, P Stock
1Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA.
Background:
The University of California Islet Transplant Consortium was formed to evaluate the feasibility of performing clinical islet transplantation at different transplant centers by using a single centralized islet isolation laboratory.
Methods:
From July 1992 through February 1995 seven adult islet transplantations were performed, six allografts and one autograft. Once procured, human pancreata were brought to the UCLA-VA Islet Core Laboratory for islet isolation and purification, which were then transported to different centers for transplantation. Patients 1 through 3 received their transplants in Los Angeles, patient 4 received her islet transplant in Torrance, and patients 5 through 7 received their transplants in San Francisco.
Results:
Although none of these patients achieved insulin independence, four of seven had functioning grafts longer than 6 months as indicated by circulating C-peptide level greater than 0.7 ng/ml. Furthermore, improved glucose control as shown by a decreased insulin requirement was seen in 57% (four of seven patients) of these patients. The ability to isolate islets at a single laboratory and transport them long distances to different centers was shown in patients 4 through 7.
Conclusions:
Islet transplantation can be performed with improvements in blood glucose control, and islets can be isolated at a centralized location and successfully transported to different centers for transplantation.