Twenty-seven patients with successful transplantation and a control group of 14 patients with early rejection of the pancreas graft but functioning kidney graft were examined in a prospective study for 3 yr. Before transplantation, all patients had long-standing type I diabetes with advanced secondary complications, including end-stage diabetic nephropathy. After transplantation in the patients of both groups, kidney function was almost normal. Mean HbA1 levels were normal in the group with pancreas graft survival. In the control group, HbA1 levels were, on average, 1.5% higher compared with the group with pancreas survival (P = 0.00005). After 3 yr, the patients with functioning pancreas graft showed fewer symptoms (mean difference 1.0 in a symptom score ranging from 0 to 16, P = 0.004) compared with the control group. No statistically significant difference between both groups concerning clinical signs of polyneuropathy could be observed. In the pancreas and kidney transplantation group, peroneal and median nerve conduction velocities increased 7.2 m/s (P < 0.01) and 3.5 m/s (P < 0.05), respectively, whereas no increase was registered in the control group. The change of median and sural sensory nerve conduction velocities, peroneal and median compound muscle action potentials, and sural and median sensory action potentials was insignificant. In conclusion, although the improvement of clinical symptoms and neurophysiological signs of polyneuropathy was modest in the pancreas and kidney transplantation group, our data suggest that successful pancreas transplantation is able not only to halt the progression of diabetic polyneuropathy but also to improve it to some extent even at a far advanced stage.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Original Articles|
October 01 1993
Diabetic Neuropathy 3 Years After Successful Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation
Wolfgang Müller-Felber;
Wolfgang Müller-Felber
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Rüdiger Landgraf;
Rüdiger Landgraf
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Ralf Scheuer;
Ralf Scheuer
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Stefan Wagner;
Stefan Wagner
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Carl Detlev Reimers;
Carl Detlev Reimers
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Johann Nusser;
Johann Nusser
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Deitmar Abendroth;
Deitmar Abendroth
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Wolf-Dieter Illner;
Wolf-Dieter Illner
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Walter Land
Walter Land
Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, and the Transplantation Center, University of Munich
Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. W. Muller-Felber, Friedrich-Baur-lnstitut, Klinikum Innenstadt, University of Munich, Ziemssenstrasse 1a, 80336 Munich, Germany
Diabetes 1993;42(10):1482–1486
Article history
Received:
September 14 1992
Revision Received:
June 03 1993
Accepted:
June 03 1993
PubMed:
8375588
Citation
Wolfgang Müller-Felber, Rüdiger Landgraf, Ralf Scheuer, Stefan Wagner, Carl Detlev Reimers, Johann Nusser, Deitmar Abendroth, Wolf-Dieter Illner, Walter Land; Diabetic Neuropathy 3 Years After Successful Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation. Diabetes 1 October 1993; 42 (10): 1482–1486. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.42.10.1482
Download citation file:
139
Views