title: Sensory nerve conduction velocity and vibratory sensibility in juvenile diabetics. Relationship to endogenous insulin.
abstract: Sensory nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and the vibratory sense (biothesiometry) were determined in 67 children and adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes. Age at onset of diabetes varied between 1-14 years (mean +/- S.D. 6.5 +/- 3.6) and the duration of diabetes between 4-17 years (7.7 +/- 3.4). Within +/- 3 months of the nerve function tests blood was drawn for determination of C-peptide and insulin antibodies (IgG and IRI). A low NCV (less than 50 m/s) in the sural nerve and/or an abnormal vibratory sense (greater than or equal to 1.0 microns) were found in 34 patients (50.7%). Measurable fasting serum C-peptide 0.04-0.60 pmol/ml (0.17 +/- 0.15) was found in 16 patients (23.9%). All but one patients had insulin antibodies with IgG 0.130-11.029 mU/ml (2.957 +/- 2.509) and total IRI 10-9120 muU/ml (1204 +/- 1723). In multiple regression analysis we did not find any correlation between nerve function and sex, age, or age at onset of diabetes, and there was only a weak relationship between NCV and duration. However, there was a positive correlation between NCV and C-peptide (p less than 0.001). Vibration sense was also better among patients with C-peptide (p less than 0.05). The results support the view that insulin deficiency contributes to peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000503:physiopathology; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007330:Insulin Antibodies