Urinary methylmalonic acid as an indicator of early vitamin B12 deficiency and its role in polyneuropathy in type 2 diabetes.
The rising incidence of diabetes and its negative impact on quality of life highlights the urgent need to develop biomarkers of early nerve damage. Measurement of total vitamin B12 has some limitations. We want to determine the levels of urinary methylmalonic acid and its relationships with serum vitamin B12 and polyneuropathy. The 176 Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into 3 groups according to the levels of vitamin B12. A gas chromatography mass spectrometric technique was used to determine blood methylmalonic acid and urinary methylmalonic acid. The diagnosis of distal diabetic polyneuropathy was based on the determination of bilateral limb sensory and motor nerve conduction velocity and amplitude with electromyogram. Multiple regression analysis revealed that urinary methylmalonic acid/creatinine, blood methylmalonic acid, and so forth were variables that influenced diabetic polyneuropathy significantly. Nerve sensory conduction velocity and nerve amplitude in the group of urinary methylmalonic acid/creatinine >3.5 mmol/mol decreased significantly. Superficial peroneal nerve sensory and motor conduction velocity and ulnar nerve compound motor active potential amplitude were inversely correlated with urinary methylmalonic acid/creatinine. Urinary methylmalonic acid correlates with serum vitamin B12 levels in person with diabetes and is a sensitive marker of early polyneuropathy.
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Ai-li
AL
Sun
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Yi-hong
YH
Ni
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Xiao-bo
XB
Li
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Xiang-hua
XH
Zhuang
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Yuan-tao
YT
Liu
Qingdao Haici Hospital, Qingdao 266033, China.
Xin-hua
XH
Liu
The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China ; Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Street, Ji'nan, Shandong 250033, China.
Shi-hong
SH
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002681:China; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
D015415:Biomarkers; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12