Pancreas Allotransplantation for Diabetic Nephropathy and Mild Chronic REnal fAilure Stage Study

Current medical therapies are not able to prevent progression of established macroproteinuira (i.e. diabetic nephropathy) to end-stage renal failure in type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic patients. In this setting, proteinuria is a major risk factor for mortality. Pancreas transplantation, on the contrary, can revert diabetic nephropathy and thereby prevent end-stage chronic renal failure, with theoretically lower risk of death as compared to current medical therapies.The main objective of this study is to assess superiority of isolated pancreas transplantation versus intensive exogenous insulin therapy in type 1 diabetic patients with overt diabetic nephropathy and mildly reduced renal function. The primary endpoint is a composite efficacy/failure end-point including: patient mortality and renal function impairment during 5 years in patients with badly controlled diabetes and nephropathy resisting to up-to-date nephroprotective therapies.Main secondary objectives are safety and efficacy of both regimens, including proteinuria and renal histology evaluation, metabolic control and quality of life, acute and chronic extrarenal complications of diabetes, pancreas survival and all risks related to the transplant procedure (anaesthesia, surgery and immunosuppression side-effects) and to the intensive insulin therapy management.