胰腺和肾脏在联合移植中排斥反应的比较

目的:比较胰腺和肾脏在联合移植中的排斥反应.方法:以大鼠同种异体胰肾联合移植为基础,对来自同一供体的联合移植的胰腺和肾脏排斥反应进行比较分析.结果:1.肾脏间质排斥反应出现较胰腺早.程度也较胰腺重,且以早期标本为著;2.胰肾血管排斥反应分级分布相似,无显著差异;3.胰肾间质排斥反应均早于血管出现,程度也较重     

胰腺和肝脏在联合移植时互惠作用的观察

作者对观察肝脏对胰腺的免疫保护作用和胰腺对肝脏的营养保护作用,采用大鼠单独胰腺移植,单独肝脏移植及肝胰联合移植进行研究。结果显示;胰腺联合肝脏移植时,胰腺平均功能存活期较单独移植时显著延长,间质排斥反应减轻,分级分布与单独移植相比差异有显著性意义;肝脏有联合移植时,术后再生能力以及形态的完整性估于单独移植。     

肝肾联合移植中肝脏对肾脏的保护作用

目的探讨肝肾联合移植中肝脏对肾脏的保护作用。方法回顾性分析2001年10月至2006年6月18例接受肝肾联合移植患者的资料,并以同一供体的对侧肾脏所完成的单独肾移植18例受者作为对照,2组患者年龄、性别、血型、冷热缺血时间、人类白细胞抗原（HLA）配型、肾病原发病、免疫抑制方案等条件基本匹配。对2组患者间移植肾急性排斥反应（AR）、慢性排斥反应（CR）、移植肾功能延迟恢复（DGF）的发生率以及出院时血肌酐（SCr）水平进行比较。结果肝肾联合移植组AR和DGF发生率均明显低于单独肾移植组,差异有统计学意义（5．6％对33．3％,P= 0．044;0对27．8％,P=0．023）;肝肾移植组CR发生率明显低于单独肾移植组,但差异无统计学意义（0对11．1％,P=0．243）。出院时平均SCr水平肝肾移植组明显低于单独肾移植组,差异有统计学意义[（57．1±6．0）μmol／L对（123．0±11．7）μmol／L,P=0．018）]。结论肝肾联合移植中肝脏对肾脏具有保护作用,能够维持良好的移植肾功能。     

胰肾联合移植中供体切取和修整的技巧

目的:总结胰肾一期联合移植中供体胰十二指肠及肾脏切取及修整的经验。方法:回顾性分析19例胰肾联合移植术中供体胰十二指肠及肾脏切取的方法与移植物的修整技巧。结果:无1例发生移植物损伤。联合移植术后9 d之内18例完全停用外源性胰岛素,空腹血糖正常，尿糖≤（+）。术后2～4 d，血肌酐和尿素氮降至正常。3例出现移植肾脏急性排斥反应，2例发生移植胰腺急性排斥反应，给予甲泼尼龙冲击治疗后恢复正常。1例术后因移植物加速排斥反应，术后11 d切除移植胰、肾。结论:胰肾联合移植手术中，供体胰十二指肠及肾脏的切取及修整是手术成功的重要因素之一。     

腺泡细胞凋亡在大鼠胰腺移植急性排斥反应中的意义

目的：观察移植胰腺的腺泡细胞凋亡及其与急性排斥反应的关系。方法：选用SD和Wistar大鼠进行全胰十二指移植。实验分为同基因移植组（Wistar→Wistar）和异基因移植组（SD→Wistar）两组。于术后第3d、5d和7d分批处死受体，取移植胰腺标本用HE染色和原位末端标记（TUNEL）技术检测移植胰腺切片，进行排斥反应的病理学评分和计数凋亡指数（AI）。结果：发生凋亡的细胞主要是腺泡细胞，同基因移植组胰腺有散在的腺泡细胞凋亡，AI在术后无明显变化。异基因移植组胰腺腺泡细胞凋亡在术后第3d、5d和7d逐渐升高，AI与急性排斥反应的病理学评分成正相关。结论：细胞凋亡与移植胰腺急性排斥反应的严重程度显著相关，凋亡指数可作为判断移植物损伤程度的指标，对急性排斥反应的诊断有一定的参考价值。     

胰肾联合移植的排斥反应

目的探讨胰肾联合移植术后的排斥反应。方法对我院施行的3例胰肾联合移植的病人，采用FK506 MMF Perid Zenapax四联免疫治疗方案，通过床边彩超及Cr、BUN、血糖等来监测移植物的排斥反应。对排斥反应采用激素冲击疗法，对激素不敏感者采用OKT3治疗。结果3例患者中有2例出现排斥反应，其发生率达66％；在出现排斥反应时，首先表现为低热、全身不适，尿量减少，血Cr、BUN升高，彩超示移植物血流阻抗升高，之后才是血糖升高。结论胰肾联合移植中，排斥反应与多种因素有关，移植肾对移植胰具有保护作用，肾脏可以作为监测胰腺排异的窗口，彩超检查可以作为筛选移植物排异反应的手段。     

抗ICAM-1单克隆抗体在大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应中的应用及肝细胞凋亡

目的比较1A29、环孢霉素A（CsA）及两者联合应用对大鼠肝移植模型不同程度排斥反应中肝细胞凋亡的变化情况。方法建立稳定的大鼠肝移植模型；利用同系大鼠肝移植作为对照组；非同系大鼠间肝脏移植术后抗排斥反应模型。分组应用1A29、CsA及联合应用。观察不同程度排斥反应中肝细胞凋亡的情况。结果同系大鼠间（SD→SD）未出现排斥反应；而非同系大鼠间（Wistar→SD）肝移植术后均出现不同程度的排斥反应。大鼠酶谱和胆红素明显增高，病理提示具有典型的排斥反应改变；CsA（10mg／kg体重）的应用可以有效地控制排斥反应的发生；CsA（3mg／kg体重）的单独应用对排斥反应无效，但CsA与1A29（30μg／kg体重）联合应用可以有效的控制排斥反应。单独应用1A29对排斥反应亦无效。发生排斥反应的移植物肝细胞凋亡显著增加；应用免疫抑制剂而未出现排斥反应的移植物肝细胞凋亡无明显增加。结论肝细胞凋亡与移植肝脏的排斥反应有着密切的相关性。肝细胞凋亡的发生与1A29的应用无明显关系。1A29的应用可以明显减少CsA的用量，单纯应用1A29不能有效控制肝移植的排斥反应过程。     

胰肾联合移植的排斥反应

目的　探讨胰肾联合移植术后的排斥反应。方法　对我院施行的 3例胰肾联合移植的病人 ,采用FK5 0 6 MMF Perid Zenapax四联免疫治疗方案 ,通过床边彩超及Cr、BUN、血糖等来监测移植物的排斥反应。对排斥反应采用激素冲击疗法 ,对激素不敏感者采用OKT3治疗。结果　3例患者中有 2例出现排斥反应 ,其发生率达 6 6 % ;在出现排斥反应时 ,首先表现为低热、全身不适 ,尿量减少 ,血Cr、BUN升高 ,彩超示移植物血流阻抗升高 ,之后才是血糖升高。结论　胰肾联合移植中 ,排斥反应与多种因素有关 ,移植肾对移植胰具有保护作用 ,肾脏可以作为监测胰腺排异的窗口 ,彩超检查可以作为筛选移植物排异反应的手段。     

猪胰肾联合移植门静脉回流和体静脉回流术式对急性排斥反应的影响

目的 比较胰肾联合移植门静脉回流（PE）和体静脉回流（SE）两种术式对移植物急性排斥反应的影响.方法 48例无亲缘当地杂交第1代长白猪,随机分成PE组（24只）和SE组（24只）,每组内行交叉配血,相合者组成供受猪.切除受猪胰腺制成1型糖尿病模型,同时切除右肾.PE组门静脉与受猪肠系膜上静脉或门静脉行端侧吻合,SE组门静脉与受猪肝下下腔静脉吻合,外分泌均采用肠道引流.术后1、3、5、7 d监测血糖和移植肾尿液肌酐水平;术后3、7 d开腹取移植胰和肾组织行病理学检查,参照Nakhleh和Banff标准对移植胰腺和肾进行排斥反应评分.结果 PE组和SE组各行12例移植手术,两组移植物冷缺血时间差异无统计学意义[PE组为（231.25±19.86）min ;SE组为（234.60±15.80） min,P〉0.05].两组术后1、3、5、7 d血糖和移植肾尿液肌酐水平差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）.SE组较PE组移植胰腺和肾急性排斥反应发生早且重,两组急性排斥反应病理评分差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）.结论 猪胰肾联合移植内分泌PE与SE相比,可减轻和延缓急性排斥反应.     

DCs单抗对大鼠肾移植后排斥反应时CD40/CD40L表达的影响

目的：观察大鼠树突状细胞（DCs)单抗单独或与甲泼尼龙（MP）联合应用对移植后排斥反应的影响，并结合检测大鼠移植肾CD40／CD40L表达水平，探讨其抗排斥的作用机制，方法：实验共分为5组，同系移植组，不用药实验对照组；MP治疗组：DCs单抗治疗组；DCs单抗＋MP治疗组，利用免疫组织化学方法检测移植肾内CD40／CD40L表达，每一样本采用计算机图像分析定量测定。结果：大鼠DCs单抗单独或与MP联合治疗组受体鼠存活时间较不用药对照组显著延长（P＜0．01），其中DCs单抗＋MP治疗组尤为明显，术后7d，不用药实验对照组移植肾脏组织CD40／CD40L，表达水平显著高于其它各组，DCs单抗＋MP治疗组表达水平显著低于MP组及DCs单抗组（P＜0．01），同系移植组表达水平最低。结论：单独应用DCs单抗或与MP联合应用均显著延长大鼠肾移植存活期，干扰CD40／CD40L共刺激通路信号传导可能是其抗排斥机制之一。     

Differential effects of preexisting uremia and a synchronous kidney graft on pancreas allograft functional survival in rats.

Pancreas transplant results have been better in uremic recipients of a simultaneous kidney than in nonuremic recipients of a pancreas alone. We studied the relative effect of uremia versus a double transplant on functional survival by performing bladder-drained pancreas transplants alone (PTA), kidney transplants alone (KTA), and simultaneous pancreas/kidney (SPK) transplants from Buffalo donors to diabetic Lewis rat recipients that were or were not made uremic 2-3 weeks before by 1 4/5 native nephrectomy. Pancreas graft exocrine function was monitored by urinary amylase (UA). In the PTA and SPK recipients made diabetic by streptozotocin, endocrine function was monitored by measuring nonfasting plasma glucose (PG) levels. Kidney graft function was monitored by plasma creatinine (Cr). Rejection of the endocrine pancreas was defined as an increase of PG to greater than 200 mg/dl; of the exocrine pancreas, as a decline in UA to less than 6000 U/L or to less than 100 U/24 hr; and of the kidney, as an elevation of Cr to greater than 3 mg/dl. The mean functional survival times (MST) of both the endocrine (12.0 +/- 2.1 versus 10.1 +/- 1.1 days, P = 0.036) and exocrine (8.0 +/- 2.1 versus 6.3 +/- 1.3 days, P = 0.016) components of the pancreas grafts were significantly longer in SPK than in PTA recipients. The MST of kidney allografts, however, was not significantly longer in nonuremic SPK than nonuremic KTA recipients (6.7 +/- 1.4 versus 5.7 +/- 0.7 days, P = 0.13). In parallel experiments in recipients immunosuppressed with cyclosporine, the graft survival times were longer, but the relative differences between the PTA, SPK, and KTA groups persisted. Histologically, lymphocyte infiltration began in the two organs almost simultaneously, but the severity of the rejection was more vigorous in the kidney than in the pancreas in doubly grafted rats, and destruction of pancreas grafts progressed more slowly in SPK than in PTA recipients. Preexisting uremia delayed pancreas rejection in both SPK (exocrine 10.6 +/- 2.3, P = 0.032, and endocrine 14.8 +/- 3.4 days, P = 0.065, versus nonuremics) and PTA (exocrine 8.5 +/- 1.7, P = 0.007, and endocrine 12.6 +/- 2.5, P = 0.026, versus nonuremics) nonimmunosuppressed recipients. The MST of kidney grafts was not significantly longer in uremic (8.9 +/- 2.8 days) than in nonuremic (6.7 +/- 1.4 days) SPK recipients (P = 0.081). A synchronous kidney transplant and uremia independently down-modulate the rejection response to a pancreas graft, and a simultaneous pancreas graft has no detrimental effect on the survival of a kidney graft.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Bilateral native nephrectomy for refractory hypertension in kidney transplant and kidney pancreas transplant patients

Hypertension is common in renal transplant patients and sometimes very difficult to control. Refractory hypertension can adversely affect renal graft and patient survival. Many antihypertensive medications are not well tolerated or can have important drug interactions with immunosuppressive medications. These drugs can cause significant side effects including fluid depletion, azotemia, electrolyte imbalance, and anemia. Bilateral native nephrectomy in renal transplant patients has been reported to be beneficial in controlling severe hypertension.We report five patients with severe hypertension despite as many as 9 different antihypertensive medications. All patients had previous kidney or simultaneous kidney pancreas transplantation. Each of our patients underwent laparoscopic bilateral native nephrectomy.Renal function varied from creatinine of 1.4–2.4, and the number of antihypertensive medications from 3 to 9 at the time of nephrectomy surgery. Mean arterial blood pressure improved in all five patients at 3–6 months post nephrectomy, the number of antihypertensive medications decreased in 4, but renal function remained stable at 3–6 months in only 3 patients.We found laparoscopic bilateral native nephrectomy to be beneficial in renal and simultaneous kidney pancreas transplant patients with severe and refractory hypertension. Our patients with better baseline renal allograft function at time of nephrectomy received the most benefit. No decrease in allograft function could be attributed to acute rejection.     

The effect of center volume on pancreas transplant outcomes

BACKGROUND: Caseload often correlates with improved outcomes for several surgical procedures, including solid organ transplantation. Given the unique nature of pancreas transplantation and large variation in transplant center volumes, this study aims to determine whether center volume affects patient and graft survival after pancreas transplantation. METHODS: Registry data on all forms of whole organ pancreas transplants performed between 1995 and 2000 were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Patient and graft survival rates were followed until 2002. Center volume then was categorized as: low (< 10/year), medium (10-20/year), high (21-50/year), and very high (< 50/year). Cox proportional hazard regression models were developed to evaluate factors affecting pancreas transplant outcomes. RESULTS: Very-high-volume centers were more likely to do pancreas after kidney transplant, pancreas transplant alone, pancreas with kidney transplant, and repeat transplants, while other centers more frequently performed simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants (P < .001). Very-high-volume centers were more likely to transplant older recipients and less likely to transplant minority or Medicaid patients. Low-volume centers tended to accept pancreatic allografts from younger donors and had the longest waiting times. In models adjusting for differences in patient population, there were no differences in patient survival. However, low-volume centers had a slightly increased risk of graft loss compared to other centers. Early graft loss was similar among all centers, but medium-volume centers were at increased risk for late graft loss. CONCLUSIONS: Low center volume is not associated with increased mortality after pancreas transplantation. Other factors appear to be more important than center volume in determining pancreas transplant outcomes.     

Morbidity of pancreas transplantation during cadaveric renal transplantation.

Simultaneous transplantation of the pancreas is an option for diabetic patients undergoing kidney transplantation to attempt to halt progression of diabetic complications, but the additional risk imposed by the procedure is unclear. Our aim was to determine the morbidity attributable to pancreas transplantation during simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation. We compared the first posttransplant year of 18 consecutive recipients of combined pancreas and kidney transplantation to 18 consecutive recipients of kidney transplantation alone. All patients received cadaver donor allografts between 1986 and 1989, and had type I diabetes mellitus with chronic renal failure. There were no differences in patient survival (94% both groups) or satisfactory renal allograft function (89% pancreas/kidney group, 83% kidney group) up to 18 months after transplantation. Eighty-eight percent of pancreas allografts were functioning satisfactorily at 18 months. There was a mean (+/- SD) of 1.5 +/- 1.0 acute rejection episodes per patient for the pancreas/kidney group compared to 0.8 +/- 6 for the kidney-only group (P less than 0.02). Cytomegalovirus infection and wound complications were each encountered more often after pancreas/kidney transplantation than kidney transplantation alone, and together with rejection accounted for a difference in days of hospitalization during the first year (71 +/- 34 vs. 27 +/- 13, P less than 0.001). We conclude that simultaneous pancreas transplantation during cadaver donor kidney transplantation accounted for more frequent rejection episodes, CMV infections, and wound complications. These complications resulted in more hospitalization for patients undergoing simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplantation than kidney transplantation alone.     

Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant after bilateral lung transplant for a recipient with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder. Despite optimized therapy, the majority of affected individuals ultimately die of respiratory failure. Lung transplantation is the only available therapy that deals definitively with the end-stage pulmonary disease and has become the treatment of choice for some of these patients. As patients with CF are living longer, extrapulmonary manifestations may develop including pancreatic failure, which manifests as exocrine insufficiency and CF-related diabetes (CFRD). Both of these can be managed through pancreas transplantation. We have previously reported our series of three simultaneous lung and pancreas transplants in patients with CF, which were complicated by surgical issues for both the thoracic and abdominal portions, rejection and resistant infections with disappointing long-term survival. Based on these results, a sequential approach was adopted: first, the thoracic transplant; and second, once the patient has recovered, the abdominal transplants. This is the first reported case of pancreas and kidney transplantation performed after a lung transplant in a patient with CF. It demonstrates a successful approach to treating CF with a lung transplant, and in an effort to improve the patient's long-term outcome, treating CFRD and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, with a subsequent pancreas transplant.     

Management of leukopenia in kidney and pancreas transplant recipients

Abstract: Leukopenia is frequently observed in the setting of solid organ transplantation. The risk factors, natural history, and outcomes associated with leukopenia post‐transplantation have not been well defined. We retrospectively studied 102 adult kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients over a one‐yr period of time. By defining leukopenia as a white blood cell count ≤3000 cells/mm³ and neutropenia as an absolute neutrophil count ≤2000/mm³, the combined incidence of either leukopenia or neutropenia was 58% (59/102); the first episode occurred at a mean of 91 d post‐transplant. A significant increase in the incidence of leukopenia was found in patients who either received alemtuzumab induction (42% with alemtuzumab vs. 9% with rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin induction, p < 0.05) and/or had rapid steroid withdrawal in the early post‐transplant period (44% with vs. 16% without steroid withdrawal, p < 0.05). The most common intervention performed for leukopenia was reducing the dose of mycophenolate mofetil and/or valganciclovir. When granulocyte stimulating factors were used, a mean of 3.1 doses were needed to successfully manage the leukopenia. Although leukopenia was a common finding in our study of kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients, there was no difference in the rates of infection or acute rejection in patients with and without leukopenia.     

Simultaneous cadaver pancreas living-donor kidney transplantation: a new approach for the type 1 diabetic uremic patient

OBJECTIVE: To review the authors' experience with a new approach for type I diabetic uremic patients: simultaneous cadaver-donor pancreas and living-donor kidney transplant (SPLK). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Simultaneous cadaver kidney and pancreas transplantation (SPK) and living-donor kidney transplantation alone followed by a solitary cadaver-donor pancreas transplant (PAK) have been the transplant options for type I diabetic uremic patients. SPK pancreas graft survival has historically exceeded that of solitary pancreas transplantation. Recent improvement in solitary pancreas transplant survival rates has narrowed the advantage seen with SPK. PAK, however, requires sequential transplant operations. In contrast to PAK and SPK, SPLK is a single operation that offers the potential benefits of living kidney donation: shorter waiting time, expansion of the organ donor pool, and improved short-term and long-term renal graft function. METHODS: Between May 1998 and September 1999, the authors performed 30 SPLK procedures, coordinating the cadaver pancreas transplant with simultaneous transplantation of a laparoscopically removed living-donor kidney. Of the 30 SPLKs, 28 (93%) were portally and enterically drained. During the same period, the authors also performed 19 primary SPK and 17 primary PAK transplants. RESULTS: One-year pancreas, kidney, and patient survival rates were 88%, 95%, and 95% for SPLK recipients. One-year pancreas graft survival rates in SPK and PAK recipients were 84% and 71%. Of 30 SPLK transplants, 29 (97%) had immediate renal graft function, whereas 79% of SPK kidneys had immediate function. Reoperative rates, early readmission to the hospital, and initial length of stay were similar between SPLK and SPK recipients. SPLK recipients had a shorter wait time for transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Early pancreas, kidney, and patient survival rates after SPLK are similar to those for SPK. Waiting time was significantly shortened. SPLK recipients had lower rates of delayed renal graft function than SPK recipients. Combining cadaver pancreas transplantation with living-donor kidney transplantation does not harm renal graft outcome. Given the advantages of living-donor kidney transplant, SPLK should be considered for all uremic type I diabetic patients with living donors.     

Apoptosis in kidney and pancreas allograft biopsies

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis is a particular form of cell death involved in the elimination of somatic cells. In this study, the occurrence of apoptotic cells in kidney and pancreas allograft biopsies was analyzed and correlated with the number of infiltrating macrophages and lymphocytes and granzyme B expression. METHODS: Kidney and pancreas biopsies from patients submitted to simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation were classified into three groups: acute rejection, chronic rejection, and transplant cases without evidence of rejection. Formalin-fixed paraffin biopsies were used to identify apoptosis by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase [TdT]-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. RESULTS: In normal kidney, only few apoptotic cells were observed. In contrast, in kidney-allograft biopsies, the TUNEL signal was detected in the nuclei of tubular epithelial cells and also in mononuclear cells scattered in the interstitium. In pancreas biopsies, numerous apoptotic cells were detected in acinar cells, in ducts, and occasionally in islets. The number of apoptotic cells in acute pancreas rejection was significantly higher compared with acute rejection of kidney grafts (50+/-14 vs. 21+/-4 cells/mm2; P<0.05). In kidney biopsies, there was a positive correlation between apoptosis and macrophages (r=0.51; P<0.005), and apoptosis versus T lymphocytes (r=0.45; P<0.05). In pancreas biopsies, the number of apoptotic cells correlated only with the number of macrophages (r=0.41; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Apoptosis occurs in kidney and pancreas allograft biopsies, markedly in acute rejection in pancreas biopsies. Although apoptosis may reflect a mechanism of down-regulation of the allograft immune response by eliminating infiltrating cells, the elimination of graft cells may result in graft damage, particularly in pancreas transplantation.     

Early steroid withdrawal in solitary pancreas transplantation results in equivalent graft and patient survival compared with maintenance steroid therapy

Although steroid withdrawal in simultaneous kidney pancreas transplantation has been shown to be feasible, the results of early steroid withdrawal in immunologically solitary pancreas transplantation are not well known. This study evaluated an early steroid withdrawal protocol in this group. The results of steroid withdrawal at 21 d post-transplant in solitary pancreas transplant recipients was compared with a control group consisting of solitary pancreas transplant recipients maintained on steroids (MG). Additional immunosuppression consisted of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin induction followed by tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil in both groups. The withdrawal group (WG, n = 22) consisted of 11 pancreas transplant alone (PTA), six pancreas after kidney (PAK), and five simultaneous cadaveric pancreas living kidney (SPLK) recipients. The steroid maintenance group (MG, n = 32) consisted of 8 PTA, 11 PAK, and 13 SPLK recipients. Recipient and donor demographic characteristics were similar. Seventy eight percent of MG patients had infection-related complications in the first year compared with 50% of the WG patients (p = 0.04). The one-yr rejection, pancreas graft, and patient survival rates were 27.3% 95.5%, and 100% in the WG, and 37.5%, 81.3%, and 93.8% in the MG respectively and not significantly different. We conclude that early corticosteroid withdrawal in isolated pancreas transplantation results in fewer infections and can be achieved without an increased risk of rejection or graft loss over the first year.     

Steroid withdrawal in pancreas transplant recipients

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies of steroid withdrawal have been carried out in kidney and liver transplant recipients, but only a few in pancreas transplant recipients. Yet, pancreas transplant recipients could have significant long-term benefits from steroid withdrawal. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis to determine the feasibility of steroid withdrawal in pancreas transplant recipients. RESULTS: Of 360 recipients who underwent a pancreas transplant between January 1, 1994 and June 30, 1998, 14 attempted steroid withdrawal (12 simultaneous pancreas-kidney [SPK]; 2 pancreas transplant alone [PTA]). Reasons for steroid withdrawal were bone fractures (n = 3), psychiatric disorders (n = 2), severe acne (n = 1), recurrent infections (n = 4), and problems with hypercholesterolemia or hypertension (n = 4). All 14 were maintained on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) immunosuppression, except for 1 who was on tacrolimus and azathioprine (AZA). Of the 14 recipients, 11 had no episodes of acute rejection before steroid withdrawal. The remaining 3 had one or more acute rejection episodes. Of the 14 recipients, 10 (72%) currently remain off steroids (mean follow-up 18 months, range 5-51 months). However, 4 recipients have resumed steroids: 2 after an acute rejection episode (at 2 and 21 months post-withdrawal) and 2 because of leukopenia (WBC < 3000) and an inability to tolerate full-dose MMF. Steroid withdrawal was unsuccessful in both PTA recipients and in 2 of the 12 SPK recipients. All 14 recipients currently have a functioning pancreas graft. However, 1 of the SPK recipients, in whom steroid withdrawal failed, has developed chronic kidney rejection and is now back on hemodialysis awaiting a retransplant. CONCLUSION: Steroid withdrawal is possible in up to 70% of pancreas transplant recipients. Further studies are necessary to define ideal candidates for steroid withdrawal. Based on the results of this analysis, we have launched a prospective, randomized trial of steroid withdrawal in pancreas transplant recipients.