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Pancreas transplantation is the most successful treatment option for patients with autoimmune type 1 diabetes. However, the surgical procedure is associated with high morbidity rates. The present case report describes a patient receiving simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplantation. After initial success, he develops a pseudoaneurysm of the iliac Y graft reconstruction, necessitating elective transplantectomy to avoid rupture. While on the waiting list for this operation, the patient is admitted to another hospital with acute bleeding from the pseudoaneurysm. An endovascular stent is successfully placed into the Y graft, stopping the bleeding with preserved pancreas function. Close follow-up using CT angiography shows successful treatment of the aneurysm. Pancreas graft function remains excellent. Although most experts until now have advised transplantectomy in the case of Y graft aneurysms, this case report advocates stent placement and close monitoring to preserve the pancreatic graft.

Summary Islet or β cell transplantation provides a promising cure for type 1 diabetes patients, but insulin-independency decreases frequently over time. Immunosuppressive regimens are implemented attempting to cope with both auto- and alloimmunity after transplantation. We analysed the influence of different immunotherapies on autoreactive and alloreactive T cell patterns and transplant outcome. Patients receiving three different immunosuppressive regimens were analysed. All patients received anti-thymocyte globulin induction therapy. Twenty-one patients received tacrolimus–mycophenolate mofetil maintenance immunosuppression, whereas the other patients received tacrolimus–sirolimus (SIR, n = 5) or SIR only (n = 5). Cellular autoreactivity and alloreactivity (CTL precursor frequency) were measured ex vivo. Clinical outcome in the first 6 months after transplantation was correlated with immunological parameters. C-peptide levels were significantly different between the three groups studied (P = 0·01). We confirm that C-peptide production was correlated negatively with pretransplant cellular autoreactivity and low graft size (P = 0·001, P = 0·007 respectively). Combining all three therapies, cellular autoimmunity after transplantation was not associated with delayed insulin-independence or C-peptide production. In combined tacrolimus–SIR and SIR-treated patients, CTL alloreactivity was associated with less insulin independence and C-peptide production (P = 0·03). The percentage of donors to whom high CTLp frequencies were measured was lower in insulin-independent recipients (P = 0·03). In this cohort of islet cell graft recipients, clinical outcome in the first 6 months after transplantation correlates with the applied immunosuppressive regimen. An association exists between insulin-independence and lower incidence of CTL alloreactivity towards donor human leucocyte antigen. This observational study demonstrates the usefulness of monitoring T cell reactivity against islet allografts to correlate immune function with graft survival.

A 71-yr-old male kidney transplant recipient suffered from delayed graft function. Eighty days after transplantation complete obstruction of the proximal ureter was observed, complicated by recurrent urinary tract infections. Two months later, the donor kidney was removed because of infectious complications and inadequate arterial perfusion. Histological examination of the removed graft showed signs of rejection as well as a low-grade papillary urothelial cell carcinoma of donor origin in the ureter. The remaining donor ureter was removed subsequently and showed no further signs of malignancy. Follow-up of the patient until 12 months after surgery did not reveal recurrence of the tumor. This case report is the first to describe accidental transfer of urothelial cell carcinoma in the ureter by transplantation, highlighting the possibility of malignancy when early stenosis is not related to the anastomosis. It again emphasizes the need for precise and cautious screening of organ donors, especially those of higher age.