Impact of Recipient Age on Outcomes After Pancreas Transplantation

Background: Few reports have provided the ages of pancreas transplant recipients. The aim of this study was to determine whether recipient age affects survival of pancreatic grafts after transplantation. Methods: We analyzed 73 patients who had undergone pancreas transplantation at our institution from August 2001 to March 2020 and assessed the effects of recipient age on pancreas graft survival within 5 years after pancreas transplantation. Results: The cutoff value for recipient age established by receiver operating characteristic curve was 35 years. The pancreas graft survival rate of recipients aged 35 years or younger (1, 3, and 5 years: 72.9%, 41.7%, and 41.7%, respectively) was significantly lower than that of recipients aged over 35 years (1, 3, and 5 years: 93.2%, 88.4%, and 88.4%, respectively). Multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis showed that recipient age 35 years or younger (hazard ratio = 3.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-12.50; P = .044) and solitary pancreas transplantation (hazard ratio = 10.72; 95% confidence interval, 2.72-42.28; P < .001) were significant risk factors for pancreas graft loss within 5 years. Conclusion: Our data suggest that younger recipient age is a risk factor for pancreas graft loss after transplantation.