Follow-up study of sensory-motor polyneuropathy in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation and after graft rejection

Müller-Felber, W.; Landgraf, R.; Wagner, S.; Mair, N.; Nusser, J.; Landgraf-Leurs, M. M. C.; Abendroth, D.; Illner, Wolf-Dieter and Land, Walter (August 1991): Follow-up study of sensory-motor polyneuropathy in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation and after graft rejection. In: Diabetologia, Vol. 34, No. Supple: pp. 113-117

Abstract

The influence of successful simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation on peripheral polyneuropathy was investigated in 53 patients for a mean observation period of 40.3 months. Seventeen patients were followed-up for more than 3 years. Symptoms and signs were assessed every 6 months using a standard questionnaire, neurological examination and measurement of sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities. While symptoms of polyneuropathy improved (pain, paraesthesia, cramps, restless-legs) and nerve conduction velocity increased, there was no change of clinical signs (sensation, muscle-force, tendon-reflexes). Following kidney-graft-rejection there was a slight decrease of nerve conduction verlocity during the first year, which was not statistically significant. Following pancreas-graft rejection there was no change of nerve conduction velocity during the first year. Comparing the maximum nerve conduction velocity of the patients with pancreas-graft-rejection to the nerve conduction velocities of these patients at the end of the study, there was a statistically significant decrease of 6.5 m/s. In conclusion, we believe that strict normalization of glucose metabolism alters the progressive course of diabetic polyneuropathy. It may be stabilized or partly reversed after successful grafting even in long-term diabetic patients.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Keywords: Polyneuropathy, Diabetes mellitus, Pancreas transplantation, Kidney transplantation
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 0012-186X, 1432-0428

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