Evaluation of dermal myelinated nerve fibers in diabetes mellitus
Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Skin biopsies have primarily been used to study the non-myelinated nerve fibers of the epidermis in a variety of neuropathies. In this study, we have expanded the skin biopsy technique to glabrous, non-hairy skin to evaluate myelinated nerve fibers in the most highly prevalent peripheral nerve disease, diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). Twenty patients with DPN (Type I, n = 9; Type II, n = 11) and 16 age-matched healthy controls (age 29-73) underwent skin biopsy of the index finger, nerve conduction studies (NCS), and composite neuropathy scoring. In patients with DPN, we found a statistically significant reduction of both mechanoreceptive Meissner corpuscles (MCs) and their afferent myelinated nerve fibers (p = 0.01). This myelinated nerve fiber loss was correlated with the decreased amplitudes of sensory/motor responses in NCS. This study supports the utilization of skin biopsy to quantitatively evaluate axonal loss of myelinated nerve fibers in patients with DPN.
DOI: 10.1111/jns5.12027
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Center for Research Resources, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center, G150953014, G2304076072, G2940777275, G3722609264, G3989539122, Pathophysiology of Conduction Block in HNPP, Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center, G4513176822, G6365056742, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) UL1, Autonomic Function in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Diabetes Research and Training Center, Molecular and Cellular Basis for Digestive Diseases, Cancer Center Support Grant, Vanderbilt Diabetes Research Center, Core Grant in Vision Research
OpenAlex ID: W2040765058