Abstract
Objective. This study aimed to determine the use of fecal elastase in evaluating the effect of simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation with enteric drainage on the pancreatic exocrine function of diabetic patients with uremia. Methods. A total of 19 patients with simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPK) with enteric drainage, 31 diabetic patients with uremia (chronic renal failure (CRF)), 22 diabetic patients with uremia who underwent renal transplantation (RT), and 20 normal individuals (CON) were included in the study. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency was determined using fecal elastase. Results. The fecal pancreatic elastase level in SPK patients with enteric drainage was 479 μg/g, which was significantly higher than 229 μg/g in CRF patients and 197 μg/g in RT patients. Using 200 μg/g as the established threshold, a reduced fecal pancreatic elastase level was found in 14/31 of CRF patients, 12/22 of RT patients, 1/19 of SPK patients with enteric drainage, and 1/20 of CON patients. The correlation analysis revealed a significant association between fecal elastase and glycosylated hemoglobin. Conclusions. The present study indicated that SPK with enteric drainage improves pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions. Fecal elastase may be a clinically relevant means to determine the therapeutic effects.