Beneficial Effect of Successful Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation on Plasma Profile of Metalloproteinases in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

• Main Authors: Jerzy Chudek, Aureliusz Kolonko, Jacek Ziaja, Tomasz Francuz, Dorota Kamińska, Aleksander J. Owczarek, Piotr Kuczera, Agata Kujawa-Szewieczek, Mariusz Kusztal, Adrian P. Kowalik, Dominika Bożek-Pająk, Joanna Kluz, Piotr Choręza, Robert Król, Magdalena Krajewska, Lech Cierpka, Andrzej Więcek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: arterial stiffness; atherosclerosis; intima-media thickness; matrix metalloproteinases; simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation; type 1 diabetes
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/17/3800

It is not fully elucidated whether the restoring of normal glucose metabolism after successful simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) improves vascular wall morphology and function in type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients. Therefore, we compared arterial stiffness, assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and biomarkers of arterial wall calcification in T1D patients after SPK or kidney transplantation alone (KTA). In 39 SPK and 39 KTA adult patients of similar age, PWV, IMT, circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and calcification biomarkers were assessed at median 83 months post transplantation. Additionally, carotid plaques were visualized and semi-qualitatively classified. Although PWV and IMT values were similar, the occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques (51.3 vs. 70.3%, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and calcified lesions (35.9 vs. 64.9%, <i>p</i> < 0.05) was lower in SPK patients. There were significantly lower concentrations of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and osteocalcin in SPK subjects. Among the analyzed biomarkers, only logMMP-1, logMMP-2, and logMMP-3 concentrations were associated with log HbA_1c. Multivariate stepwise backward regression analysis revealed that MMP-1 and MMP-3 variability were explained only by log HbA_1c. Normal glucose metabolism achieved by SPK is followed by the favorable profile of circulating matrix metalloproteinases, which may reflect the vasoprotective effect of pancreas transplantation.