Elevated serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and hypomagnesemia are not related with new-onset diabetes after transplantation

Background

New-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT) contributes to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and infection, reducing graft and patient survival in kidney transplant recipients. To reduce CVD and improve outcomes of kidney transplant recipients, it is of great interest to more precisely elucidate the risk factors that contribute to the development of NODAT. A previous study reported that hypomagnesemia is an independent predictor of NODAT. Elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity increases the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in the general population. The objective of this study was to determine whether magnesium (Mg) and GGT were risk factors for NODAT among our population of kidney transplant recipients.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 205 non-previously diabetic kidney transplant recipients. GGT was measured before transplantation as well as at months 1, 2, and 12. Mg was measured at months 1, 2, and 12. NODAT was defined at month 12 and at the end of follow-up according to the “2003 international consensus guidelines.”

Results

Although 36 patients (17.5%) developed NODAT at month 12, 55 patients (26.8%) displayed it at the end of follow-up. We did not observe any significant difference, either in mean Mg (month 1, 1.73 ± 0.24 vs 1.75 ± 0.30 P = .824]; month 2, 1.71 ± 0.22 vs 1.68 ± 0.26 P = .565]; month 12, 1.77 ± 0.27 vs 1.80 ± 0.24 P = .596]) or GGT values (pretransplantation, 32 ± 27 vs 33 ± 85 P = .866]; month 1:39 ± 24 vs 48 ± 70 P = .452]; month 2, 53 ± 96 vs 48 ± 83 P = .739]; month 12, 40 ± 37 vs 38 ± 53 P = .830]) between NODAT and non-NODAT patients at month 12 or at the end of follow-up.

Conclusion

Hypomagnesemia and high GGT activity were not risk factors for NODAT development in kidney transplant recipients.