Factors influencing outcome of simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation: a 23-year single-center clinical experience

Abstract

Introduction: Simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation (SKPT) has become an effective treatment for patients who have diabetes mellitus type I with advanced nephropathy. This study assesses the progress of the SKPT program at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, and evaluates prognostic factors for graft survival.

Materials and methods: Between February 1986 and September 2009, we performed 113 SKPT. The immunosuppression protocols changed over time and are defined as era 1, cyclosporine (CyA), atzathioprine (AZA) and steroids (C/A/S); era 2, C/A/S with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) induction (C/A/S/A); era 3, CyA, mycophenolate mofetic (MMF), steroids and ATG induction (C/M/S/A); era 4, tacrolimus (TAC), MMF, steroid, and ATG induction (T/M/S/A) and era 5, TAC, MMF, steroids and basiliximab induction (T/M/S/B). We analyzed donor/recipient/operative and postoperative variables to assess their influence on pancreas graft and patient survivals.

Results: The overall 1-, 5-, and 10-year patient survivals were 95.5%, 84.1%, and 65.5%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall pancreas graft survivals were 77.6%, 58.4%, and 48.4%. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year pancreas graft survivals in SKPT patients transplanted between October 1997 and September 2009. (T/M/S/A and T/M/S/B; eras 4 and 5) were 95.3%, 72.7%, and 63.1%, respectively, which was significantly better than those of patients transplanted between February 1986 and September 1997 (era, 1 through 3) (P < 0.01, P < 0.0001, respectively). The quadruple regimen with TAC and MMF (eras 4 and 5) decreased the incidence of acute rejection episodes compared with eras 1 through 3 (P < 0.0001). Basiliximab induction (T/M/S/B; era 5) reduced the CMV infection rate compared with eras 1 through 4 (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that donor age (younger than 40 years), immunosuppressive regimen with TAC and MMF (eras 4 and 5), and absence of acute rejection episodes independently affected pancreas graft survival.

Conclusions: We demonstrate a superiority of the quadruple protocol with T/M/S/B for graft and patient survival with a decreased incidence of CMV infection after SKPT.