Serum neurofilament light chain: a novel biomarker for early diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy
Authors' conclusion
Our findings in individuals recently diagnosed with diabetes provide new evidence associating higher serum NFL levels with DSPN and peripheral nerve dysfunction. The present study advocates NFL as a potential biomarker for DSPN.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with T1D and T2D with known diabetes duration <1 year, prospective observational German Diabetes Study cohort
- Participants
- 423 adults
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower serum NFL levels
- Outcome
- Association of serum NFL with DSPN (Toronto Consensus criteria)
Methodological detailsGerman Diabetes Study cohort, multiplex proximity extension assay
- German Diabetes Study cohort
- Multiplex proximity extension assay
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
DSPN per 1-normalised protein expression increase in serum NFL
- RR (95% CI) per 1-normalised protein expression increase, 1.92 [1.50, 2.45], p<0.0001
- Poisson regression adjusted for age, sex, waist circumference, height, HbA1c, known diabetes duration, diabetes type, cholesterol, eGFR, hypertension, CVD, lipid-lowering drugs and NSAID use
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) prevalence
- DSPN prevalence
- 16%
Nerve function measures with higher serum NFL
- Slower motor nerve conduction velocities
- all p<0.0001
- Slower sensory nerve conduction velocities
- all p≤0.03
- Lower sural sensory nerve action potential
- P = 0.0004
- Higher thermal detection threshold to warm stimuli, hand
- P = 0.023
- Higher thermal detection threshold to warm stimuli, foot
- P = 0.004
- Multivariable linear and quantile regression, adjusted
Other neurological biomarkers
- No evidence for associations between other neurological biomarkers and DSPN or nerve function measures
- Exploratory analyses
Serum NFL and age
- Serum NFL levels increased with age
Original publication
Serum neurofilament light chain: a novel biomarker for early diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Diabetologia. Published 6 December 2022. doi:10.
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