Cardiovascular benefits of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant versus kidney alone transplant in diabetic patients.
The aim of our study was to demonstrate the cardiovascular benefits of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation when compared to kidney-alone transplants in diabetic recipients.


METHODS
A total of 386 renal transplants were performed from 1985 to 2004, including 262 (68%) in diabetic recipients and 124 (32%) in nondiabetics. Among the former group, 200 kidneys were transplanted simultaneously to the pancreatic graft (KP group) and 62 were kidney-alone transplants (KA group). The mean time on dialysis was 31 +/- 20 months (range 0-126 months). The duration of diabetes was 24 +/- 7 years (range 5-51 years). Ninety-nine percent of the patients were on renal replacement therapy (79% on hemodialysis and 20% on peritoneal dialysis).


RESULTS
Among 262 patients, 28 (11%) died due to a cardiovascular event, which was higher among KA patients compared with the KP group (P = .004). Overall patient survival was significantly higher in the KP group when compared with the KA group (log-rank: P = .0004). Patient survivals were 80% and 70% versus 70% and 40% at 5 and 10 years in the KP and KA groups, respectively. Kidney graft survivals were 81% and 60% versus 63% and 26% at 5 and 10 years in the KP and KA groups, respectively. Pancreas graft survival was 70% and 50% at 5 and 10 years, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This clinical evaluation, even if retrospective, confirmed that simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation has a protective effect against cardiovascular mortality in diabetic recipients affected by end-stage renal disease.
Orsenigo
E
E
Department of Surgery, Vita e Salute University, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy. orsenigo.elena@hsr.it
Socci
C
C
Fiorina
P
P
Zuber
V
V
Secchi
A
A
Di Carlo
V
V
Staudacher
C
C
D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000601:surgery*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis