Table 1 Clinical and neuropathy parameters in control subjects and patients at baseline.

From: Corneal confocal microscopy identifies small fibre damage and progression of diabetic neuropathy

Variable

Controls (n = 19)

Patients (Baseline) (n = 19)

p value

Clinical and laboratory parameters

Age (years)

47.4 ± 14.2

52.5 ± 14.7

0.20

Duration of diabetes (years)

NA

26.0 ± 13.8

NA

Weight (kg)

80.7 ± 18.0

82.0 ± 19.8

0.9

BMI (kg/m2)

27.5 ± 4.0

29.0 ± 5.7

0.50

BP (mmHg)

131 ± 23/74.0 ± 11.0

132 ± 21/ 71 ± 8

0.90/0.50

HbA1c (mmol/mol)

37.5 ± 3

63.5 ± 18.7

0.0002

Triglycerides (mmol/l)

1.4 ± 0.7

1.8 ± 1.7

0.9

LDL—C (mmol/l)

2.7 ± 0.9

2.23 ± 0.9

0.05

eGFR (ml min/ [1.73 m]2)

83 ± 7

82 ± 20

0.70

ACR (mg/mmol)

0.3 ± 0.1

7.5 ± 15.7

< 0.0001

Clinical neuropathy and QST measures

NSP (/38)

0.15 ± 0.5

3.5 ± 4.5

0.0005

NDS (/10)

0.57 ± 1.0

3.7 ± 2.4

< 0.0001

VPT (V)

7.5 ± 6.9

13.0 ± 8.0

0.06

CPT (°C)

28.4 ± 2.3

26.5 ± 3.5

0.51

WPT (°C)

36.9 ± 2.2

40.0 ± 3.7

0.20

CIP (°C)

9.0 ± 8.3

8.0 ± 8.5

0.90

WIP (°C)

45.0 ± 2.8

47.0 ± 2.5

0.15

Autonomic neuropathy measures

DB-HRV (beats/min)

30 ± 12

21 ± 15

0.005

Neuropad (%)

91.0 ± 21

62.4 ± 34

0.13

Nerve conduction studies

SNAP (µV)

17.9 ± 9.7

11.41 ± 10.9

0.06

SNCV (m/s)

49.8 ± 4.5

43.5 ± 9.0

0.01

PNAP (mV)

6.0 ± 2.2

3.8 ± 1.9

0.004

PMNCV (m/s)

48.7 ± 4.1

43.5 ± 3.6

0.0007

Corneal confocal microscopy

CNFD (no./mm2)

37.7 ± 6.5

28.8 ± 6.5

< 0.0001

CNBD (no./mm2)

96.5 ± 38.6

67.6 ± 30.2

0.009

CNFL (mm/mm2)

27.2 ± 3.4

22.2 ± 4.9

0.0007

Skin biopsy

IENFD (no./mm)

9.8 ± 3.8

6.6 ± 4.3

0.04

  1. BMI—body mass index, BP—blood pressure, HbA1c—Glycosylated haemoglobin, eGFR—estimated glomerular filtration rate, ACR—albumin creatinine ratio, LDL-C—low density lipoprotein cholesterol, NSP—neuropathy symptom profile, NDS—neuropathy disability score, VPT—vibration perception threshold, DBHRV—deep breathing heart rate variability, sural nerve action potential (SNAP), Sural nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), Peroneal nerve amplitude (PNAP), Peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity (PMNCV), CNFD—corneal nerve fibre density, CNBD—corneal nerve branch density, CNFL—corneal nerve fibre length, IENFD—intraepidermal nerve fibre density. Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Bold values show statistically significant results. Continuous variables were compared between controls and baseline patient visits using the paired t-test for normally distributed data and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test for non-normally distributed data.
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