Glycated albumin and post-transplant diabetes mellitus in kidney transplant recipients

Background Post-transplant diabetes mellitus is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors after solid organ transplantation. Factors other than hyperglycaemia found in patients post-transplant, affect the level of haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), and new markers of hyperglycaemia are needed. Our aim was to establish a 95% reference interval for glycated albumin in kidney transplant recipients, and to compare glycated albumin concentrations to the diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus post-transplant using oral glucose tolerance test and HbA(1c). Methods A total of 341 non-diabetic kidney transplant recipients aged >= 18 years who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test at 8 weeks and 1 year after transplantation were included. Glycated albumin was determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Results The 95% reference interval for glycated albumin was 8.2 (90% CI: 7.2-8.5) to 12.8% (90% CI: 12.2-13.5) which is not significantly different from our laboratory's 95% reference interval for persons without diabetes. At both 8 weeks and 1 year after transplantation, 35 patients (10.3%) fulfilled one, two or all three diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus. One year after transplantation, eight additional patients had glycated albumin concentration >12.8%. Conclusion Our findings are in accordance with the notion that kidney transplant recipients form glycation end products like normal controls as estimated by glycated albumin and HbA(1c). Further studies should address glycated albumin as a supplemental tool for the diagnosis of post-transplant diabetes mellitus in kidney transplant recipients.