Prevention of Diabetes After Transplantation by Vildagliptin in the Early Post-transplant Period

Overview

Post-transplant diabetes affects 15 to 20% of renal transplant patients and contributes to increased morbidity and reduced survival of transplants and patients. Corticosteroids, anti-calcineurin and mammilian Target OF Rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have a major diabetogenic impact and greatly contribute to the increase in diabetes prevalence after transplantation. There are to date few studies concerning the pharmacological prevention of post-transplant diabetes. Hecking et al. have recently reported that a short treatment with insulin, administered immediately after transplantation, reduce the incidence of de novo diabetes one-year post-transplant. This study included 50 renal transplant patients and showed that a three months treatment of (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn) NPH insulin decreased HbA1c. The occurrence of diabetes, a secondary end-point, was reduced by 73% in the treated group. No further pharmacological strategy has been developed to date. Relevant experimental evidences suggest that gliptins could be used in the pharmacological prevention of post-transplant diabetes. These drugs are inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), which inactivates the incretins, the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). DPP-4 inhibition causes an increase in the GLP-1 and GIP concentrations which induce insulin secretion and inhibition of glucagon secretion. The gliptins are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Beyond the effects on blood glucose, gliptins have pleiotropic effects including a protective effect on β cells and anti-inflammatory effect. The additional cost associated with new-onset diabetes after transplantation could be also significantly reduced by efficient prevention. A US study found that, for the period between 1994 and 1998, a newly diagnosed diabetic patient has cost $21,500 of medical expenses 2 years after transplantation. Moreover, transplantation resulting in one of the best increases of patients' quality of life, its estimate is essential in the treatment evaluation of this population.