title: Skin autofluorescence for the risk assessment of chronic complications in diabetes: a broad excitation range is sufficient.
abstract: Skin autofluorescence (AF) is becoming an accepted clinical method for assessing the risk of chronic complications in diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, the role of the excitation wavelength in the recognition of increased risk of diabetes-related chronic complications was investigated. An Excitation Emission Matrix Scanner (EEMS) was used to perform noninvasive measurements in four age-matched groups of patients with type 1 and type 2 DM, with and without chronic complications, as well as in a control group (N=97 in total). AF was calculated for excitation wavelengths in the range 355 - 405 nm. Mean spectra were assessed per group. AF values in both type 1 and type 2 DM patients with complications were increased compared to the control subjects (p < 0:01); this ratio remained practically constant, independent of the excitation wavelength. No emission peaks were distinctive for specific patient groups. We conclude that in these groups, no characteristic fluorophores dictate the use of a specific wavelength or set of wavelengths. The results show the validity of applying a broad excitation wavelength range for risk assessment of chronic complications in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of BioMedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen,Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koetsier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lutgers
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Links
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Vries
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Gans
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rakhorst
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graaff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays