Dorsal Sural Nerve Conduction Study in Early Diabetic Polyneuropathy Patients and Relationship of Adiponectin and High Sensitive-C Reactive Protein Levels

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the change in dorsal sural nerve (DSN) conduction studies in early diabetic neuropathic patients and to evaluate whether high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), inflammatory marker, and adiponektin, important role in insulin resistance and diabetes, have any effect on DSN studies or not. Material and Method: Forty-six patients with early stages (Dyck classification N1)diabetic neuropathy and age-sex matched forty-four control subject were included in the study. Informed consent was obtained after approval of ethical committee. In all subject DSN conduction studies were performed with conventional electrophysiological studies. DSN electrophysiological parameters of diabetics were compared with controls. The relationship between plasma adiponectin and hs-CRP levels and DSN conduction study parameters were analyzed. Results: In diabetic patients, DSN parameters were significantly different than controls. The level of adiponectin was found to be lower in diabetic (p:0.01) but not statistically significant for hs-CRP levels (p:0.40). There was not any relationship between DSN parameters and the level of adiponectin or hs-CRP (p>0.05). Sixty-three % of diabetics, whom routine electrophysiological studies were in normal limits, had abnormal DSN parameters. Fifty% of diabetics had bilateral abnormalities. However, there was no difference in hs-CRP and adiponectin levels between patients with abnormal and normal DSN studies (p>0.05). Conclusion: DSN studies are useful methods to detect subclinical early diabetic polyneuropathy according to the results of our study. Although adiponectin level was found lower in early diabetic neuropathic patients, both adiponectin and hs-CRP do not have any relationship with DSN studies.