Functional and survival analysis of isolated human islets.
OBJECTIVE
Pancreatic islet transplantation has become one of the potential treatments for type 1 diabetes. We evaluated functional and viability parameters of isolated islets in relation to donors clinical characteristics and preparation variables.


METHODS
Islets were isolated from 70 nondiabetic multiorgan donors of overall age of 62.5 +/- 15.9 years. There were 41 men and 29 women. Their mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.62 +/- 3.09 kg/m(2). We evaluated the islet number (IEQ/g pancreatic tissue) insulin release (IR; microU/islet/min) in response to 3.3 (g) or 16.7 (G) mmol/L glucose; calcium flux concentration (CFC); and islet cell viability.


RESULTS
IEQ was 5249 +/- 1505, with 73.7 +/- 14.96% viable islet cells. IR was 0.03 +/- 0.01 at g and 0.11 +/- 0.06 at G (stimulation index [S] = 3.24 +/- 1.96). CFC was 1.95 +/- 1.03 DeltaRFU. We observed positive correlations between viable cells and IR at g (R(2) = 0.260; P = .013), IR at G (R(2) = 0.165; P = .013), and CFC (R(2) = 0.175; P = .047). A positive correlation was documented between BMI and g (R(2) = 0.245; P = .016) and negative correlations between age with SI (R(2) = 0.188; P = .052) and cold ischemia time with IEQ (R(2) = 0.865; P = .0061).


CONCLUSIONS
These results showed that quality control of isolated human pancreatic islets allowed assessment of beta-cell function and survival before transplantation, revealing several important variables.
D'Aleo
V
V
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Metabolic Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Del Guerra
S
S
Gualtierotti
G
G
Filipponi
F
F
Boggi
U
U
De Simone
P
P
Vistoli
F
F
Del Prato
S
S
Marchetti
P
P
Lupi
R
R
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002470:Cell Survival; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D014019:Tissue Donors