The growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) is known as a marker of regenerating nerve fibers and their continuous remodeling in the adult human skin. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate a possible role for GAP-43 in the detection of the early stages of small-fiber neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) as compared with a well- established and validated parameter - intra-epidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) of protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate the etiology in a group of 84 patients with painful sensory neuropathy with predominant small-fiber dysfunction (54 men and 30 women, median: 58; range: 25-83 years) recruited from a population of the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. Involvement of small nerve fibers was verified by abnormal thermal thresholds and/or reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber densities. Motor signs or symptoms or significant clinical signs of sensory large-fiber involvement were exclusionary; 33 patients, however, had sensory nerve conduction abnormalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysesthesias of the lower limbs are a common complaint of patients and may be indicative of peripheral neuropathy. Here we investigated the prevalence and type of neuropathy in patients presenting with this complaint and compared the diagnostic performance of different diagnostic modalities. Forty-two patients were recruited prospectively and underwent a clinical examination, nerve conduction studies, quantitative sensory testing (QST), and skin biopsy at the dorsum of the foot.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To assess small-fibre involvement in diabetic patients with neuropathic pain.
Methods: Peripheral nerve function was assessed in 30 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, n = 24) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, n = 6), and clinical symptoms of neuropathic pain in the feet, using nerve conduction studies, autonomic tests, thermal quantitative sensory testing (T-QST) and quantification of intra- and subepidermal nerve fibre densities in skin punch biopsies.
Results: Clinical signs of isolated small-fibre sensory involvement were present in 13 patients [pure small-fibre neuropathy (pSFN)], seven patients had isolated positive sensory symptoms without neurological deficits (pSFN-).
In this prospective study, intraepidermal nerve fiber densities (IENFD) and subepidermal nerve plexus densities (SENPD) were quantified by immunostaining in skin punch biopsies from the distal calf in 99 patients with clinical symptoms of painful sensory neuropathy and from 37 age-matched healthy volunteers. The clinical diagnosis was based on history and abnormal thermal thresholds on quantitative sensory testing (QST). In patients with neuropathy, IENFD and SENPD were reduced to about 50% of controls.
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