Rapid loss of intraportally transplanted islets: an overview of pathophysiology and preventive strategies

Islets isolated from multiple pancreas donors are often necessary to achieve euglycemia in type I diabetic patients treated by islet allotransplantation. This increases the burden on the limited pool of donor organs. After infusion into the portal vein, a substantial percentage of islets are lost in the immediate post-transplant period through an inflammatory response termed the instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR). IBMIR is equally, if not more of a problem after islet xenotransplantation, e.g., using pig islets in nonhuman primates. Coagulation, platelet aggregation, complement activation, and neutrophil and monocyte infiltration play roles in this reaction. IBMIR is potentially triggered by islet surface molecules, such as tissue factor and collagen residues that are normally not in direct contact with the blood. Also, stress during the islet isolation process results in the expression and production of several inflammatory mediators by the islets themselves. The potential mechanisms involved in this rapid graft loss and treatment options to reduce this loss are reviewed. Preventive strategies for IBMIR can include systemic treatment of the recipient, pre-conditioning of the isolated islets, or, in the case of xenotransplantation, genetic modification of the organ-source pig. Pre-conditioning of islets in culture by exposure to anti-inflammatory agents or by genetic modification harbors fewer risks of systemic complications in the recipient. The future of clinical islet transplantation will, at least in part, depend on the success of efforts made to reduce rapid graft loss, and thus allow islet transplantation to become a more efficient therapy by the use of single donors.