Tacrolimus-Induced Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Effect of Switching to Everolimus: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a common metabolic complication. Most conventional immunosuppressive medications, especially steroids and tacrolimus, are responsible for its development. NODAT may rarely be associated with severe, life-threating complications in kidney transplantation recipients. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old man was admitted to our polyclinic for a routine post kidney transplantation visit. He reported polyuria, polydipsia, and general weakness. The patient had undergone preemptive, living-related kidney transplantation 5 weeks previously. Immunosuppressive treatment comprised tacrolimus, prednisolone, and mycophenolate mofetil. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities except signs of mild dehydration. Although he had no history of diabetes before kidney transplantation and his serum fasting glucose levels were within the reference range at the follow-up visits, his laboratory tests revealed high serum glucose and creatinine levels, ketosis, and metabolic acidosis. Our diagnosis was NODAT with diabetic ketoacidosis and prerenal azotemia. Initial treatment comprised intravenous saline and insulin infusion and subsequently involved intensive subcutaneous insulin administration. Despite the intensive insulin therapy and reduction of the tacrolimus dose, sufficient glucose regulation was not achieved. Tacrolimus was switched to everolimus on day 6 of hospitalization. The patient's insulin requirement gradually decreased to one-half of the primary dose over the following several days, and he was discharged on day 10 with successful serum glucose regulation. Although the diabetogenic potential of sirolimus is similar to that of tacrolimus, the impact of everolimus on glucose metabolism remains unclear. CONCLUSIONS: We have reported a life-threating metabolic complication associated with tacrolimus and successful treatment of NODAT by switching from tacrolimus to everolimus.

Successful Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Drainage of Multiple Splenic Abscesses in a Kidney Transplant Patient With Encapsulated Sclerosing Peritonitis: A Case Report.

Differential diagnosis of post-transplant infections should include rare/uncommon foci and pathogens. We present a rare case of life-threatening infection, a splenic abscess in a 53-year-old woman who was transplanted with a cadaveric kidney 5 months previously. The patient was admitted to our clinic with chills, shivering, and fever. She required a kidney transplant because of end-stage renal disease secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus, which had previously been treated by means of peritoneal dialysis for 7 years, until encapsulated sclerosing peritonitis developed, at which time therapy was changed to hemodialysis for 1 year. On physical examination, the patient was slightly lethargic and had tenderness in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Laboratory evaluation revealed leukocytosis and high acute phase reactant. Abdominal ultrasonography (US) revealed multiple abscesses in the spleen, but splenectomy was not recommended because of her history of sclerosing peritonitis. Percutaneous drainage catheters were placed under US guidance. Culture of blood and fluid drained from the abscess revealed imipenem-sensitive Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. Imipenem (500 mg IV q6hr) was initiated, and the drainage volume was 40 to 50 mL/day in the first week and gradually decreased through the third week. The abscess was completely drained over a period of 6 weeks, as confirmed by computed tomography; percutaneous catheters were then removed. Although splenic abscesses are life-threatening, especially for immunocompromised patients, this case suggests that percutaneous drainage guided by US or computed tomography is an efficient treatment alternative to splenectomy.

Factors Affecting the Selection of Patients on Waiting List: A Single Center Study.

INTRODUCTION: There is an increasing gap between organ supply and demand for cadaveric transplantation in our country. Our aim was to evaluate factors affecting selection of patients on waiting list at our hospital. METHOD: Patients who have been waiting on list and who were transplanted were compared in order to find factors, which affected the selection of patients. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison and cox regression analysis was used to find the risk factors that decrease the probability of transplantation in this retrospective case-control study. RESULTS: Patients in the transplanted group were significantly younger, had relatively lower body mass index than the awaiting group. Cardiovascular diseases were more in the awaiting group than the transplanted group. There was no patient with diabetes in transplanted group, despite fifteen diabetic patients were in the awaiting group. Selected patients had lower immunologic risk with regard to peak panel reactive antibody levels. No significant difference was found for gender, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, viral serology, time spent on dialysis and on waiting list between two groups. With cox regression analysis female gender, older age, diabetes mellitus, high body mass index, positive hepatitis B serology and high levels of peak class 1-2 peak panel reactive antibody positivity were found as risk factors that decrease the probability of transplantation. CONCLUSION: A tendency for selection of low risk patients was found with this study. Time and energy consuming complications and short allograft survival after transplantation in high risk patients and the scarcity of cadaveric pool in our country may contribute to this tendency.

Liver transplantation for HBV-related disease under immunosuppression with tacrolimus: an experience with 78 consecutive cases.

Hepatitis B viral liver disease (HBVLD) is a major worldwide health problem. It is estimated over 300 million people have had hepatitis B virus infection and that one-third of these have chronic HBVLD. Little effective therapy exists for HBVLD even though high dose interferon (IFN) has been advocated. For those who either are untreated or do not respond to IFN, HBVLD is steadily progressive and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) is the only available therapy. Until quite recently, all OLTx recipients received cyclosporine (CyA) and prednisone. The consequence of OLTx for HBV disease in individuals immunosuppressed with tacrolimus has not previously been reported. A total of 78 consecutive patients with HBV-related liver diseases who were transplanted between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1991, and treated with tacrolimus were studied. The clinical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. HBV disease recurrence was documented with serologic and histologic methods. As of April 1, 1993, 57 of 78 (73%) of the patients were still alive. Thirty-one of the alive patients have documented HBV recurrence. Eighteen of these 31 patients, however, have normal liver function. With a median follow-up of 24 months, 8 patients (10.9%) have died of recurrent HBVLD. Seven of 8 patients, who preoperatively were HBeAg+, developed recurrence and 4 of these patients have already died of recurrence. Patients who were HBsAg+ rarely recurred (1 of 16 patients). The use of HBIG did not prevent recurrence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)