Correlation Between Different Stages of Diabetic Nephropathy and Neuropathy in Patients with T2DM: A Cross-Sectional Controlled Study

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is critical in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to the lack of targeted therapy for DPN. We have investigated the relationship between different stages of diabetic nephropathy and DPN in an attempt to elucidate whether albuminuria can be used as an early warning signal of DPN progression. METHODS: A total of 217 T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the Department of Endocrinology, Nanfang Hospital between January 2016 and June 2016. These patients were placed in groups based on urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Nerve conduction studies, the Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test (SWMT) and the vibration perception threshold (VPT) test were conducted. Multiple linear regression analysis, multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to investigate the relationship between different stages of diabetic nephropathy and DPN in these patients. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the conduction velocity (CV) and amplitude of sensory/motor nerve potential among the T2DM patients at different stages of diabetic nephropathy (all p < 0.05). The UAER and duration of diabetes were found to be independent factors associated with the mean CV and amplitude of sensory/motor nerve potential (all p < 0.05). A disease duration of > 10 years (p = 0.025) and a higher total cholesterol value (p = 0.024) were found to be significantly associated with abnormal SWMT results. A UAER of > 300 mg/24 h (p = 0.007) and a diastolic blood pressure of > 100 mmHg (p = 0.042) were associated with a higher risk for abnormal VPT. A UAER of > 300 mg/24 h (p < 0.001) and a disease duration of > 10 years (p = 0.02) were observed to be significantly correlated with DPN. The ROC analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values of UAER and duration as indicators of DPN were 90.5 mg/24 h and 9.5 years, respectively (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that diabetic nephropathy is closely associated with the development of DPN in T2DM patients and that UAER and disease duration can be used as warning indicators of DPN progression. CHINESE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTER NUMBER: ChiCTR-ROC-16007701.