Single Center Experience of 20 Adult Islets Transplantation / 医学研究杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To establish a new technique isolating pancreatic islet of langerhans and evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of adult islet transplantation.Methods Pancreases were stored using the "2-layer method" of the oxygenated perfluorochemical (PFC) and UW solution. The Pancreases were digested by Liberase collagenase enzyme and purified using continuous gradients of Ficoll-diatrizoic acid on a refrigerated COBE 2991 centrifuge to separate the islets. Cultured islets were infused by surgical approach to the liver via portal vasculature. Clinical metabolic data such as blood glucose, dose of insulin, C-peptide, HbA1c, liver function and renal function, was determined and compared with the pre-transplant data.Results Islets of langerhans were isolated successfully in 42 pancreases. The average of islet yield was 285000 islet equivalents(IEQ). Islet purity and viability were 95.7%, 93.2%, respectively. The stimulation index(SI) as assessing function of human islet was 2.43 and negative-etiology in vivo. Twenty clinical islet transplant infusions have been carried out in 11 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM). The average islet mass for infusion was 11200 IEQ/kg. The treatment strategies for islet transplantation was glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen. During 7 months to 4 years follow-up, 7 recipients had insulin independence, the dosage of insulin decreased by 60% in 4 patients after islet transplantation. The level of blood glucose and HbA1c, liver and renal function were normalized throughout follow-up period. All patients had C-peptide positive after islet transplantation. No adverse effects and complications related to islet infusion procedure.Conclusions New technique has proved to be suitable for isolating pancreatic islet of langerhans. Adult islet transplantation can be used as an effective and safe way for treating T1DM.