Reluctance of French patients with type 1 diabetes to undergo pig pancreatic islet xenotransplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 diabetes could possibly be treated by transplantation of pig pancreatic islets. In addition to medical difficulties and ethical problems, social hurdles may need to be overcome. We have evaluated the attitude of patients with type 1 diabetes to the xenotransplantation of pig pancreatic islets and to the potential risks associated with such treatment.

METHODS: A survey of 214 patients with type 1 diabetes was carried out in France based on a multiple-choice questionnaire.

RESULTS: At first, 52.0% of these patients indicated that they would agree to receive pig islet xenografts. The main sources of reluctance were the ''risk of disease transmission'' (55.5%) and ''risks not yet identified'' (48.7%). After they were told of the risk of cancer or infection associated with immunosuppression, 74.9% of the respondents chose to refuse the transplant, compared with 48.0% before they heard of such risks. A 68.1% would refuse the xenotransplant if it would not exempt them completely from being treated by insulin injections. Discontinuing insulin injections was the most important priority for diabetic patients (73.5%), rather than limitation of diabetes-related complications (52.5%) or increase in life expectancy (44.0%). After they were informed of all of the risks associated with the procedure, 70.5% of the respondents decided they would rather not take any risks, and said they would refuse pig islet transplantation.

CONCLUSION: When diabetic patients learned about potential infectious risks and other risks associated with immunosuppression, reluctance to undergo xenotransplantation gained in significance or even led to refusal of the procedure.