title: [The relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and diabetic peripheral neuropathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPNP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A crossectional analysis was conducted on 227 patients with type 2 diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy was confirmed using electromyography (EMG). The risk factors possibly associated with diabetic neuropathy or plasma homocysteine levels were analyzed in relation to likelihood of occurrence of DPNP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients with neuropathy and 147 patients without neuropathy were included. Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with diabetic neuropathy [(12.6 ± 3.6) µmol/L] than without diabetic neuropathy [(8.2 ± 0.9) µmol/L] (P < 0.001), and the relationship remained significant after adjusting for duration of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), age, renal status, serum folate acid and vitamin B(12), and metformin [OR 1.15 (1.02 - 1.28), P < 0.05]. In addition, per increase of 4.0 µmol/L plasma homocysteine was closely related to the occurrence of neuropathy after controlling for per unit increase of other confounding factors [OR 1.17 (0.94 - 1.33), P < 0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperhomocysteinemia was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. ljbzjlx18@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jian-bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-ze
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hong-man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan-juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ji-wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong-xing
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006711:Homocystine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006711:Homocystine