Histidine-Tryptophane-Ketoglutarate (HTK) vs University of Wisconsin (UW) Perfusion in Clinical Pancreas Transplantation

Graft preservation in clinical pancreas transplantation is based on hypothermia achieved by topic cooling and cold in situ flushing using special perfusion solutions designed to attenuate the effects of ischemia/reperfusion and prolong cold ischemia tolerance. For pancreas transplantation, University of Wisconsin (UW) solution is the most commonly used perfusate. However, over the last years, Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) solution has been increasingly used for abdominal organ procurement. Retrospective reports published so far have demonstrated the safety of both perfusion solutions. However, to date, no prospective study comparing both perfusion solutions has been published. Aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate early pancreas graft function in clinical pancreas transplantation after organ perfusion with HTK vs. UW solution. The study hypothesis is that HTK is not inferior to UW for organ perfusion during procurement in clinical pancreas transplantation.