Plasma osteoprotegerin concentrations in peripheral sensory neuropathy in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
Osteoprotegerin (OPG) has been linked to different diabetes complications, including cardiovascular disease, and new findings have indicated a specific role in diabetic peripheral neuropathy, but the exact mechanism is unknown. To investigate a possible association between OPG and diabetic peripheral sensory neuropathy, we therefore analysed plasma OPG in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy.


METHODS
Two hundred Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and 305 Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients participated in the study. Plasma OPG was measured with a sandwich immunoassay. Peripheral neuropathy was assessed by the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test.


RESULTS
In T2DM, plasma OPG concentrations were significantly higher in the peripheral neuropathy group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between the presence of neuropathy in T2DM and plasma OPG levels on logistic regression (P = 0.006). However, when investigated in a full multiple regression model including other long-term diabetes complications, the association became insignificant (P = 0.092). In T1DM, the difference in plasma OPG between groups did not reach significance (P = 0.066). However, plasma OPG significantly correlated to peripheral neuropathy in this group also (P = 0.022), although this correlation was not significant in a multiple linear regression model (P = 0.051).


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma OPG levels are related to peripheral neuropathy in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, although with the strongest relationship in T2DM. Before understanding the significance of this, the pathological mechanism involved and, speculatively, a possible use of plasma OPG as a peripheral sensory neuropathy marker, a larger prospective study is needed.
Nybo
M
M
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. mads.nybo@ouh.regionsyddanmark.dk
Poulsen
M K
MK
Grauslund
J
J
Henriksen
J E
JE
Rasmussen
L M
LM
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin