Improved short-term cardiovascular profile after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation

The prognosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) improves after simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation. In order to evaluate the changes in cardio-vascular risk (CVR) factors after SKP we studied nine recipients before and 6 months after SPK. There were five females and four males, with a mean age of 37 +/- 8 years, duration of diabetes of 24 +/- 5 years, three of them before starting dialysis, and six on dialysis (hemodialysis 5; peritoneal dialysis = 1). Before SPK, all patients received anti-hypertensive therapy (1-4 drugs; mean 2.2 +/- 0.9) and eight received statins. At 6 months after SPK, all patients were under triple immunosuppressive therapy (steroids + tacrolimus + MMF) without statins. They had normal renal function (Plasma Creatinine = 1.2 +/- 0.3 mg/dl) and pancreatic endocrine function (glycemia = 80 +/- 8 mg/dl). HbA1c decreased significantly (8.4 +/- 1.2 vs 4.7 +/- 0.6%; p < 0.007) with a value > 7% in seven patients before SPK and in none 6-months after SKP transplantation (p < 0.001). Although Body Mass Index increased (23 +/- 2 vs 25 +/- 3 kg/m(2); p < 0.05), plasma triglycerides decreased (130 +/- 51 vs 88 +/- 33 mg/dl, p < 0.05), and total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-chclesterol were similar. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) decreased (156 +/- 7 vs 133 +/- 15; p < 0.01 and 96 7 vs 79 9; p < 0.007) with only two patient.,; on anti-hypertensive therapy (1 drug). Likewise, before transplantation all patients were hypertensive (six grade 1 and three grade 2) while this was observed in only two at the end of follow-up (both grade 1) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, SPK transplantation with good renal and pancreatic function is associated with a short-term improvement in CVR profile.