Association of SUDOSCAN Values with Vibration Perception Threshold in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

SUDOSCAN, an Innovative, Simple and Non-Invasive Medical Device for Assessing Sudomotor Function

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy is probably the most undiagnosed but serious complication of diabetes. The main objectives were to assess the prevalence of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy in a population of diabetic patients, analyze it in a real-life outpatient unit scenario and determine the feasibility of performing SUDOSCAN tests together with widely used tests for neuropathy. A total of 33 patients were included in the study. Different scoring systems (the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score-TCNS; the Neuropathy Disability Score-NDS; and the Neuropathy Symptom Score-NSS) were applied to record diabetic neuropathy (DN), while the SUDOSCAN medical device was used to assess sudomotor function, detect diabetic autonomic neuropathy and screen for cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN). Fifteen (45.5%) patients had sudomotor dysfunction. The SUDOSCAN CAN risk score was positively correlated with the hands' electrochemical sweat conductance (ESC), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the level of the glycated hemoglobin, as well as with the TCNS, NDS and NSS. Performing SUDOSCAN tests together with other tests for DN proved to be a feasible approach that could be used in daily clinical practice in order to screen for DN, as well as for the early screening of CAN, before more complex and time-consuming tests.

Diagnostic Tools, Biomarkers, and Treatments in Diabetic polyneuropathy and Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy

The various manifestations of diabetic neuropathy, including distal symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), are among the most prevalent chronic complications of diabetes. Major clinical complications of diabetic neuropathies, such as neuropathic pain, chronic foot ulcers, and orthostatic hypotension, are associated with considerable morbidity, increased mortality, and diminished quality of life. Despite the substantial individual and socioeconomic burden, the strategies to diagnose and treat diabetic neuropathies remain insufficient. This review provides an overview of the current clinical aspects and recent advances in exploring local and systemic biomarkers of both DSPN and CAN assessed in human studies (such as biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress) for better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and for improving early detection. Current therapeutic options for DSPN are (I) causal treatment, including lifestyle modification, optimal glycemic control, and multifactorial risk intervention, (II) pharmacotherapy derived from pathogenetic concepts, and (III) analgesic treatment against neuropathic pain. Recent advances in each category are discussed, including non-pharmacological approaches, such as electrical stimulation. Finally, the current therapeutic options for cardiovascular autonomic complications are provided. These insights should contribute to a broader understanding of the various manifestations of diabetic neuropathies from both the research and clinical perspectives.

Emerging Biomarkers, Tools, and Treatments for Diabetic Polyneuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy, with its major clinical sequels, notably neuropathic pain, foot ulcers, and autonomic dysfunction, is associated with substantial morbidity, increased risk of mortality, and reduced quality of life. Despite its major clinical impact, diabetic neuropathy remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Moreover, the evidence supporting a benefit for causal treatment is weak at least in patients with type 2 diabetes, and current pharmacotherapy is largely limited to symptomatic treatment options. Thus, a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology is mandatory for translation into new diagnostic and treatment approaches. Improved knowledge about pathogenic pathways implicated in the development of diabetic neuropathy could lead to novel diagnostic techniques that have the potential of improving the early detection of neuropathy in diabetes and prediabetes to eventually embark on new treatment strategies. In this review, we first provide an overview on the current clinical aspects and illustrate the pathogenetic concepts of (pre)diabetic neuropathy. We then describe the biomarkers emerging from these concepts and novel diagnostic tools and appraise their utility in the early detection and prediction of predominantly distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Finally, we discuss the evidence for and limitations of the current and novel therapy options with particular emphasis on lifestyle modification and pathogenesis-derived treatment approaches. Altogether, recent years have brought forth a multitude of emerging biomarkers reflecting different pathogenic pathways such as oxidative stress and inflammation and diagnostic tools for an early detection and prediction of (pre)diabetic neuropathy. Ultimately, these insights should culminate in improving our therapeutic armamentarium against this common and debilitating or even life-threatening condition.

Correlation Between Different Stages of Diabetic Nephropathy and Neuropathy in Patients with T2DM: A Cross-Sectional Controlled Study

INTRODUCTION

Early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is critical in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to the lack of targeted therapy for DPN. We have investigated the relationship between different stages of diabetic nephropathy and DPN in an attempt to elucidate whether albuminuria can be used as an early warning signal of DPN progression.

METHODS

A total of 217 T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the Department of Endocrinology, Nanfang Hospital between January 2016 and June 2016. These patients were placed in groups based on urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Nerve conduction studies, the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test (SWMT) and the vibration perception threshold (VPT) test were conducted. Multiple linear regression analysis, multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to investigate the relationship between different stages of diabetic nephropathy and DPN in these patients.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed in the conduction velocity (CV) and amplitude of sensory/motor nerve potential among the T2DM patients at different stages of diabetic nephropathy (all p  < 0.05). The UAER and duration of diabetes were found to be independent factors associated with the mean CV and amplitude of sensory/motor nerve potential (all p  < 0.05). A disease duration of > 10 years (p  = 0.025) and a higher total cholesterol value (p  = 0.024) were found to be significantly associated with abnormal SWMT results. A UAER of > 300 mg/24 h (p  = 0.007) and a diastolic blood pressure of > 100 mmHg (p  = 0.042) were associated with a higher risk for abnormal VPT. A UAER  of > 300 mg/24 h (p  < 0.001) and a disease duration of > 10 years (p  = 0.02) were observed to be significantly correlated with DPN. The ROC analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values of UAER and duration as indicators of DPN were 90.5 mg/24 h and 9.5 years, respectively (both p  < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that diabetic nephropathy is closely associated with the development of DPN in T2DM patients and that UAER and disease duration can be used as warning indicators of DPN progression.

CHINESE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTER NUMBER

ChiCTR-ROC-16007701.