Relationship between Serum hsCRP Level and Sural Nerve Conduction Study in Diabetic Neuropathy

J Korean Assoc EMG Electrodiagn Med 2009;11(1):7-10.
Published online June 1, 2009.

Abstract

Objectives: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been known to correlate well with diabetesmellitus type 2. In this study, we assessed the correlation between the hsCRP and the diabetic polyneuropathywhich is one form of the microangiopathic complication of diabetes mellitus using the amplitudeof the sural nerve action potential.
Methods: Serum hsCRP levels were checked within one week from the electrodiagnostic study for thediabetic polyneuropathy and we reviewed the patients who were diagnosed as having a diabetic polyneuropathyafter the electrodiagnostic study. Finally, Thirty-Six patients were analyzed for the correlationidentification between the serum hsCRP level and the amplitude of sural nerve conduction study.
Results: The characteristics of the patients were amplitude of sural nerve of 7.4±4.0 ㎶ and mean serumhsCRP level of 0.44±0.67 mg/L. With bivariate correlation analysis, there were no linear correlationbetween the serum hsCRP level and the amplitude of sural nerve (p=0.797).
Conclusion: hsCRP as a novel marker of microangiopathy did not show the significant correlation withamplitude of the sural nerve action potential in this study. Although microangiopathy is one of the pathophysiologyof the diabetic polyneuropathy, the serum hsCRP level has doubtful meaning in diagnosis orassessment of the diabetic polyneuropathy yet.

Key Words: High sensitivity C-reactive protein, Diabetic polyneuropathy, Diabetic microangiopathy, Sural nerve conduction study.