title: High levels of C-reactive protein after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation predict pancreas graft-related complications and graft survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although pancreas graft-related complications are frequent after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK), there are no parameters predicting the risk for these complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-center retrospective study was performed in 97 patients who underwent SPK to investigate the peak serum value of c-reactive protein (CRP) during the first 72 hr after SPK in view of graft-related complications and graft survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean peak CRP was 115.6 +/- 71.5 mg/L. Mean peak CRP was higher in patients needing relaparotomy (n=31) (136.4 vs. 105.8 mg/L, P=0.048), especially when postoperative bleeding was excluded (P=0.015); in patients with graft pancreatitis (P=0.03); and in patients with graft loss (n=19; P<0.001) compared with patients without these complications. With a cut-off of peak CRP at the level of mean plus 1 SD (187.05 mg/L), there was a significantly higher incidence of relaparotomies (P=0.01; bleedings excluded: P=0.003), graft pancreatitis (P=0.03), and pancreas graft loss (P<0.0001) in patients with high peak CRP compared with patients with low peak CRP. No differences were noticed with regard to rejection rate, mortality, and kidney graft loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that peak CRP is a helpful parameter in predicting pancreas graft-related complications and pancreas graft survival after SPK. Our results also stress the importance of early graft damage in pancreas transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ruhr-University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wullstein
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Drognitz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Woeste
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Schareck
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Bechstein
authors.forename: U T
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Hopt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein