Evaluation and comparison of blood parameters in diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy

Introduction: Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is the most prevalent and troublesome microvascular complication (50%) of Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy have not been understood completely. Studies have shown that neuronal dysfunction and inflammation play important roles in the development of DPN. Aim: To evaluate and compare the inflammatory marker Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and serum markers calcium, urea, and uric acid in diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy. Materials and Methods: We prospectively studied 118 diabetic patients who visited Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka, India during December 2016-June 2017. After obtaining the ethical approval (IEC 791/2016), the patients were grouped into those with DPN (n=55) and without DPN (n=63). NLR and serum markers calcium, urea, and uric acid were estimated. Results: The data were analysed using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test and revealed a significantly high uric acid (p<0.001) and low calcium levels (p<0.001) in DPN patients compared to controls. The NLR was significantly high in DPN group {2.62 (2.3-3.1)} compared to that {1.9 (1.6-2.4)} in non-DPN group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Monitoring the simple biomarkers routinely in diabetic patients may give an early signal to prevent DPN and thus better management of the patients.