One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study

Understanding which factors shape long-term pancreas graft outcomes after the critical first year post-transplantation is an ongoing challenge. This study assesses one-year HbA1c as a predictor of subsequent pancreas graft survival. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the UNOS registry...

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Main Authors: Georgios Kourounis, Samuel J. Tingle, Angeles Maillo-Nieto, Caroline Wroe, Emily R. Thompson, Ruth Owen, Leonie van Leeuwen, Matthew Holzner, Vikram Wadhera, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, Sander Florman, James Shaw, Steve White, Colin Wilson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Transplant International
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Online Access:https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14940/full
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author Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Angeles Maillo-Nieto
Caroline Wroe
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Ruth Owen
Leonie van Leeuwen
Matthew Holzner
Vikram Wadhera
Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar
Sander Florman
James Shaw
James Shaw
James Shaw
Steve White
Steve White
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
author_facet Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Angeles Maillo-Nieto
Caroline Wroe
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Ruth Owen
Leonie van Leeuwen
Matthew Holzner
Vikram Wadhera
Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar
Sander Florman
James Shaw
James Shaw
James Shaw
Steve White
Steve White
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
author_sort Georgios Kourounis
collection DOAJ
description Understanding which factors shape long-term pancreas graft outcomes after the critical first year post-transplantation is an ongoing challenge. This study assesses one-year HbA1c as a predictor of subsequent pancreas graft survival. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the UNOS registry on all simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants between 2017 and 2023. Regression models with multiple imputations for missing data were used to evaluate predictors of long-term function. Non-linear relationships were modelled with restricted cubic splines (RCS). Among 2,917 SPK recipients (median follow-up 44 months, IQR: 25–60), one-year HbA1c was the strongest independent predictor of long-term graft survival. An HbA1c of 6.8% versus 4.4% (95th vs. 5th percentile) was associated with significantly worse graft survival (aHR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.72–3.58). Simulated trial sample size calculations found that detecting a statistically and clinically significant reduction in one-year HbA1c from 7% to 6.5% would require 65 patients per group, whereas detecting a reduction in one-year graft loss from 12% to 9% would require 1,631 patients per group. HbA1c at 1 year is a robust, continuous marker of long-term graft function and may serve as a feasible, objective surrogate endpoint in future clinical trials, enabling smaller, more efficient study designs to evaluate interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-f9b002e1d63347e98d78a213ed1753d22025-08-20T04:02:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Transplant International1432-22772025-08-013810.3389/ti.2025.1494014940One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort StudyGeorgios Kourounis0Georgios Kourounis1Georgios Kourounis2Samuel J. Tingle3Samuel J. Tingle4Samuel J. Tingle5Angeles Maillo-Nieto6Caroline Wroe7Emily R. Thompson8Emily R. Thompson9Emily R. Thompson10Ruth Owen11Leonie van Leeuwen12Matthew Holzner13Vikram Wadhera14Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar15Sander Florman16James Shaw17James Shaw18James Shaw19Steve White20Steve White21Colin Wilson22Colin Wilson23Colin Wilson24Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomNIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Newcastle University and Cambridge University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomNIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Newcastle University and Cambridge University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomNIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Newcastle University and Cambridge University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomRecanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United StatesRecanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United StatesRecanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United StatesRecanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United StatesRecanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United StatesTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomNIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Newcastle University and Cambridge University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomNIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Newcastle University and Cambridge University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomInstitute of Transplantation, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomUnderstanding which factors shape long-term pancreas graft outcomes after the critical first year post-transplantation is an ongoing challenge. This study assesses one-year HbA1c as a predictor of subsequent pancreas graft survival. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the UNOS registry on all simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants between 2017 and 2023. Regression models with multiple imputations for missing data were used to evaluate predictors of long-term function. Non-linear relationships were modelled with restricted cubic splines (RCS). Among 2,917 SPK recipients (median follow-up 44 months, IQR: 25–60), one-year HbA1c was the strongest independent predictor of long-term graft survival. An HbA1c of 6.8% versus 4.4% (95th vs. 5th percentile) was associated with significantly worse graft survival (aHR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.72–3.58). Simulated trial sample size calculations found that detecting a statistically and clinically significant reduction in one-year HbA1c from 7% to 6.5% would require 65 patients per group, whereas detecting a reduction in one-year graft loss from 12% to 9% would require 1,631 patients per group. HbA1c at 1 year is a robust, continuous marker of long-term graft function and may serve as a feasible, objective surrogate endpoint in future clinical trials, enabling smaller, more efficient study designs to evaluate interventions.https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14940/fullpancreas transplantationsimultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantationglycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)graft survivallong-term outcomes
spellingShingle Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Georgios Kourounis
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Samuel J. Tingle
Angeles Maillo-Nieto
Caroline Wroe
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Emily R. Thompson
Ruth Owen
Leonie van Leeuwen
Matthew Holzner
Vikram Wadhera
Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar
Sander Florman
James Shaw
James Shaw
James Shaw
Steve White
Steve White
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
Transplant International
pancreas transplantation
simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation
glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
graft survival
long-term outcomes
title One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
title_full One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
title_fullStr One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
title_short One-Year HbA1c Predicts Long-Term Pancreas Graft Survival Following SPK Transplantation: A US Population Cohort Study
title_sort one year hba1c predicts long term pancreas graft survival following spk transplantation a us population cohort study
topic pancreas transplantation
simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation
glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
graft survival
long-term outcomes
url https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14940/full
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