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Nasr-Eldin YK, Cartwright MS, Hamed A, Ali LH, Abdel-Nasser AM. Evaluation of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain and Nerve Ultrasound in Diabetic Neuropathy. JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE 2024; 43:683-696. [PMID: 38124499 DOI: 10.1002/jum.16393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the role of serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in individuals with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) compared with controls, as well as to highlight the different sonographic changes in DPN and determine if NfL correlates with sonographic, clinical, and functional parameters. METHODS Diabetic individuals with signs or symptoms consistent with peripheral nerve involvement were recruited. They were evaluated by examination, functional neuropathy severity scores, laboratory assessments (including NfL), nerve conduction studies (NCS), and ultrasound. Ultrasound was performed of the bilateral median, ulnar, tibial, fibular, sural, and vagus nerves, and cervical roots 5 and 6. Results were compared with age, sex, and body mass index matched healthy controls. RESULTS A total of 320 nerves from 20 patients and 480 nerves from 30 controls were evaluated. NfL was significantly elevated in those with diabetes with a mean and standard deviation of 6.95 ± 2.95 pg/mL in the diabetic group and 2.83 ± 0.77 pg/mL in controls (P < .001). Nerve cross-sectional area and serum NfL levels correlated significantly with clinical and functional parameters and with each other (P < .05). CONCLUSION Individuals with DPN have significantly higher NfL levels than healthy controls, and NfL levels correlate with ultrasonographic parameters. These findings may be useful for the diagnosis, prognosis, and disease monitoring of those with DPN, though further exploration is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael S Cartwright
- Neurology Department, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ahmed Hamed
- Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Minia University, Minya, Egypt
| | - Lamia Hamdy Ali
- Clinical Pathology Department, Minia University, Minya, Egypt
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Morgenstern J, Groener JB, Jende JME, Kurz FT, Strom A, Göpfert J, Kender Z, Le Marois M, Brune M, Kuner R, Herzig S, Roden M, Ziegler D, Bendszus M, Szendroedi J, Nawroth P, Kopf S, Fleming T. Neuron-specific biomarkers predict hypo- and hyperalgesia in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Diabetologia 2021; 64:2843-2855. [PMID: 34480211 PMCID: PMC8563617 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-021-05557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The individual risk of progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is difficult to predict for each individual. Mutations in proteins that are responsible for the process of myelination are known to cause neurodegeneration and display alteration in experimental models of diabetic neuropathy. In a prospective observational human pilot study, we investigated myelin-specific circulating mRNA targets, which have been identified in vitro, for their capacity in the diagnosis and prediction of diabetic neuropathy. The most promising candidate was tested against the recently established biomarker of neural damage, neurofilament light chain protein. METHODS Schwann cells were cultured under high-glucose conditions and mRNAs of various myelin-specific genes were screened intra- and extracellularly. Ninety-two participants with type 2 diabetes and 30 control participants were enrolled and evaluated for peripheral neuropathy using neuropathy deficit scores, neuropathy symptom scores and nerve conduction studies as well as quantitative sensory testing at baseline and after 12/24 months of a follow-up period. Magnetic resonance neurography of the sciatic nerve was performed in 37 individuals. Neurofilament light chain protein and four myelin-specific mRNA transcripts derived from in vitro screenings were measured in the serum of all participants. The results were tested for associations with specific neuropathic deficits, fractional anisotropy and the progression of neuropathic deficits at baseline and after 12 and 24 months. RESULTS In neuronal Schwann cells and human nerve sections, myelin protein zero was identified as the strongest candidate for a biomarker study. Circulating mRNA of myelin protein zero was decreased significantly in participants with diabetic neuropathy (p < 0.001), whereas neurofilament light chain protein showed increased levels in participants with diabetic neuropathy (p < 0.05). Both variables were linked to altered electrophysiology, fractional anisotropy and quantitative sensory testing. In a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis myelin protein zero improved the diagnostic performance significantly in combination with a standard model (diabetes duration, age, BMI, HbA1c) from an AUC of 0.681 to 0.836 for the detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A follow-up study revealed that increased neurofilament light chain was associated with the development of a hyperalgesic phenotype (p < 0.05), whereas decreased myelin protein zero predicted hypoalgesia (p < 0.001) and progressive loss of nerve function 24 months in advance (HR of 6.519). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION This study introduces a dynamic and non-invasive assessment strategy for the underlying pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The diagnosis of axonal degeneration, associated with hyperalgesia, and demyelination, linked to hypoalgesia, could benefit from the usage of neurofilament light chain protein and circulating mRNA of myelin protein zero as potential biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Morgenstern
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jan B Groener
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Medicover München Neuroendokrinologie, Munich, Germany
| | - Johann M E Jende
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix T Kurz
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Strom
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens Göpfert
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Zoltan Kender
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maxime Le Marois
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maik Brune
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Herzig
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Roden
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dan Ziegler
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Szendroedi
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Peter Nawroth
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kopf
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
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Depurinized milk downregulates rat thymus MyD88/Akt/p38 function, NF-κB-mediated inflammation, caspase-1 activity but not the endonuclease pathway: in vitro/in vivo study. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41971. [PMID: 28176796 PMCID: PMC5296740 DOI: 10.1038/srep41971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was the evaluation of 15 days dietary regimen of depurinized (DP) milk (obtained using our patented technological procedures) or 1.5% fat UHT milk instead of standard chow diet, on rat thymus and bone marrow MyD88/Akt/p38, NF-κB, caspase-1 and endonuclease pathways, in relation to peripheral blood cell composition. To determine whether the reduced mass of the thymus is a consequence of the direct effect of DP/UHT milk on apoptosis of thymocytes, in vitro Annexin-V-FITC/PI assay was performed. Significant decreases in the thymus wet weight, thymocyte MyD88, Akt-1/phospho-Akt-1 kinase, p38/phospho-p38, NF-κB, caspase-1 activity and CD4+/CD8+ antigen expression were obtained, especially in the DP milk group. The activity of thymocyte alkaline and acid DNase increased in the DP but not in the UHT milk group. The level of IL-6 significantly decreased in DP milk treated group, while the level of total TGF-β and IL-6 increased in UHT milk group. Significant differences in hematological parameters were obtained in commercial milk fed group. Observed results about prevention of experimental diabetes in DP pretreated groups may suggest that purine compounds, uric acid and other volatile toxic compounds of commercial milk may suppress oral tolerance, probably via IL-6 and TGF-β cytokine effects.
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