Mooshage, C.M.* ; Tsilingiris, D. ; Schimpfle, L.* ; Seebauer, L.* ; Eldesouky, O.* ; Aziz-Safaie, T.* ; Hohmann, A.* ; Herzig, S. ; Szendroedi, J.* ; Nawroth, P.* ; Heiland, S.* ; Bendszus, M.* ; Kurz, F.T.* ; Kopf, S.* ; Jende, J.M.E.* ; Kender, Z.*
A diminished sciatic nerve structural integrity is associated with distinct peripheral sensory phenotypes in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetologia 67, 275-289 (2024)
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Quantitative sensory testing (QST) allows the identification of individuals with rapid progression of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) based on certain sensory phenotypes. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of these phenotypes with the structural integrity of the sciatic nerve among individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Seventy-six individuals with type 2 diabetes took part in this cross-sectional study and underwent QST of the right foot and high-resolution magnetic resonance neurography including diffusion tensor imaging of the right distal sciatic nerve to determine the sciatic nerve fractional anisotropy (FA) and cross-sectional area (CSA), both of which serve as markers of structural integrity of peripheral nerves. Participants were then assigned to four sensory phenotypes (participants with type 2 diabetes and healthy sensory profile [HSP], thermal hyperalgesia [TH], mechanical hyperalgesia [MH], sensory loss [SL]) by a standardised sorting algorithm based on QST. RESULTS: Objective neurological deficits showed a gradual increase across HSP, TH, MH and SL groups, being higher in MH compared with HSP and in SL compared with HSP and TH. The number of participants categorised as HSP, TH, MH and SL was 16, 24, 17 and 19, respectively. There was a gradual decrease of the sciatic nerve's FA (HSP 0.444, TH 0.437, MH 0.395, SL 0.382; p=0.005) and increase of CSA (HSP 21.7, TH 21.5, MH 25.9, SL 25.8 mm2; p=0.011) across the four phenotypes. Further, MH and SL were associated with a lower sciatic FA (MH unstandardised regression coefficient [B]=-0.048 [95% CI -0.091, -0.006], p=0.027; SL B=-0.062 [95% CI -0.103, -0.020], p=0.004) and CSA (MH β=4.3 [95% CI 0.5, 8.0], p=0.028; SL B=4.0 [95% CI 0.4, 7.7], p=0.032) in a multivariable regression analysis. The sciatic FA correlated negatively with the sciatic CSA (r=-0.35, p=0.002) and markers of microvascular damage (high-sensitivity troponin T, urine albumin/creatinine ratio). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The most severe sensory phenotypes of DSPN (MH and SL) showed diminishing sciatic nerve structural integrity indexed by lower FA, likely representing progressive axonal loss, as well as increasing CSA of the sciatic nerve, which cannot be detected in individuals with TH. Individuals with type 2 diabetes may experience a predefined cascade of nerve fibre damage in the course of the disease, from healthy to TH, to MH and finally SL, while structural changes in the proximal nerve seem to precede the sensory loss of peripheral nerves and indicate potential targets for the prevention of end-stage DSPN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03022721.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
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Keywords
Diabetic Neuropathy ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Fractional Anisotropy ; Magnetic Resonance Neurography ; Quantitative Sensory Testing ; Sensory Profiling ; Type 2 Diabetes; Cross-sectional Area; Neuropathic Pain; Polyneuropathy
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Language
english
Publication Year
2024
Prepublished in Year
2023
HGF-reported in Year
2023
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0012-186X
e-ISSN
1432-0428
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Quellenangaben
Volume: 67,
Issue: 2,
Pages: 275-289
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Springer
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Berlin ; Heidelberg [u.a.]
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Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
90000 - German Center for Diabetes Research
Research field(s)
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
PSP Element(s)
G-501900-251
Grants
German Center for Diabetes Research
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Erfassungsdatum
2023-12-18