Prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism and preliminary investigation of its pathogenesis in patients being alive over 3 years after liver transplantation

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the status of abnormal glucose metabolism in patients being alive over 3years after liver transplantation and discuss the possible mechanism of post-transplant diabetes mellitus ( PTDM ).Methods In this study, the clinical data of patients with liver transplantation were collected from April 2001 to December 2008. Patients with diabetes mellitus before operation and those who had died and failed to appear during follow-up were exluded. 199 patients living over 3 years after liver transplantation were follow-up. The prevalence of PTDM was evaluated according to fasting plasma glucose(FPG). Among those without diabetes according to FPG,32patients underwent 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) , and fasting and 2 h plasma glucose and insulin were determined. 32 patients were divided into three groups [normal, impaired glucose regulation ( IGR ) , and PTDM groups], proportion of PTDM and homeostasis model assessment ( HOMA ) index were calculated. Results In patients alive over 3 years after liver transplantation, the prevalence of PTDM was 34.67% according to FPG. The OGTT result showed that the proportion of PTDM was 9.38%, IGR, including impaired fasting glucose(IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance ( IGT ) , was 56. 25% , while 34. 37% remained normal. The homeostasis model assessment β cell function index( HOMA-β ) decreased progressively from normal group, IGR group to PTDM group,and that in PTDM group was significantly lower than those in normal and IGR group( P＜0.01 ). IGR group had the highest homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and PTDM group the next, and HOMA-IR in IGR group was significantly higher than normal group. Conclusion In patients alive over 3 years after liver transplantation, the prevalence of PTDM reached 44.05%. Insulin resistance existed during early period of impaired glucose regulation, while the degeneration of β cell progressed with the worsening of impaired glucose regulation. Key words: Liver transplantation; Post-transplant diabetes mellitus; Prevalence; Pathogenesis