Side effects of the calcineurin inhibitor, such as new-onset diabetes after kidney transplantation.

Abstract

New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is one of the frequent complications following kidney transplantation. Patients were randomized to receive cyclosporine A- or tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. Fasting and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed, and the patients were assigned to one of the following three groups based on the results: normal, impaired fasting glucose/impaired glucose tolerance (IFG/IGT), or NODAT. NODAT developed in 14% of patients receiving cyclosporine A-based immunosuppression and in 26% of patients taking tacrolimus (p = 0.0002). Albumin levels were similar, but uric acid level (p = 0.002) and the age of the recipient (p = 0.003) were significantly different comparing the diabetic and the normal groups. Evaluation of tissue samples revealed that acute cellular rejection (ACR) and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) were significantly different in the NODAT group. The pathological effect of new-onset diabetes after kidney transplantation can be detected in the morphology of the renal allograft earlier, before the development of any sign of functional impairment.