Upcoming Transplant-related Meetings and Conferences

August 1-4 - NATCO's 35th Annual Meeting in Hollywood, FL. NATCO is the Organization for Transplant Professionals. The meeting's regisration information can be found on their website www.natco1.org

August 11-13 - 2010 VAMPI Annual Education Conference: "Re-establishing the Fundamentals for Success" in Charlottesville, VA.

August 15-19 - XXIII International Congress of the Transplantation Society in Vancouver, Canada. Registration information can be found at www.transplantation2010.org

August 19,20 - Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation (ACOT) Mtg in Washington, DC

August 25-29 - NATCO's Introductory Education Course for the New Transplant and Procurement Professional in Tempe, AZ

Studies of Interest to Registered Dietitians presented at this year's American Transplant Congress (ATC) meeting in San Diego. UNOS researchers were the primary authors of these studies.

Association of discharge maintenance immunosuppression with posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in adult recipients of primary kidney transplants

Wida S. Cherikh, Ph.D., Robert A. Metzger, M.D.

Posttransplant diabetes is a well known and documented complication following kidney transplantation. PTDM has been linked with the use of immunosuppressive medications given to patients for prevention of organ rejection. The researchers studied recipients of deceased and living donor kidney transplants between 2004 and 2007with no previous history of DM to ascertain how different immunosuppressive regimens at hospital discharge were associated with posttransplant DM. The investigators also looked at the risks of PTDM linked with certain medical characteristics of the patient.

The use of tacrolimus versus cyclosporine was associated with a 53% increased risk of PTDM. The use of steroid medications in addition to other anti-rejection medications was associated with a 66% increased risk for developing PTDM compared to non-steroidal treatment. The authors of the study suggest careful evaluation of the discharge maintenance immunosuppressive therapy especially in patients with greater individual risk factors for developing posttransplant diabetes.

Living kidney donor characteristics and short-term donor complications

Jennifer L. Wainright Ph.D., Leah B. Edwards, Ph.D., Maureen A. McBride, Ph.D., Robert A. Metzger, M.D.

The study investigators evaluated almost 56,000 living kidney donors from 2000 through 2008 to look at changes in donor characteristics that may affect their short-term donor outcomes. The authors reported older donor age (50 or older), high BMI, left kidney donation and history of smoking as factors linked with more complications post-operatively. These risk factors should be considered more carefully during the donor evaluation process.