Is There an Association Between Serum Neurofilament Light Chain Levels and Conduction Slowing in Type 2 Diabetic Distal Symmetrical Polyneuropathy?
Joseph Wardell1, Kelly Saverino1, Belinda Philip1, Kazim Jaffry1, Ankit Pahwa2, Daniel Menkes3, Zhao Zhong Chong1, Nizar Souayah1
1Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 2SMR Consulting, 3Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Objective:

To investigate the association between serum NEFL levels and conduction slowing in diabetic DSP.

Background:
The neurofilament light chain (NEFL) is a blood biomarker of neuroaxonal damage in several neurodegenerative diseases and is a potential biomarker for type 2 diabetic distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP).
Design/Methods:
Serum concentration of NEFL was measured in 8 patients with diabetic DSP with motor conduction slowing (MCVS) and was compared to 10 patients with diabetic DSP without motor conduction slowing (MCVWS) and 7 normal controls.
Results:

The Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS) , Rasch-Built Overall Disability Scale (R-ODS), and Total Neuropathy Score were 4.16 ± 2.19, 36.28 ± 11.64, and 16.67 ± 8.35 respectively in MCVS group compared to 3.70 ± 1.55, 16.6 ± 5.8, and 36.00 ± 6.44 in MCVWS group respectively. The level of HBA1C was significantly higher in the MCVS group (7.90 ± 2.04%) compared to the MCVWS group (5.51 ± 0.82%). Serum concentration of NEFL was significantly increased in the MCVS group (286.64 ± 98.50 pg/ml) compared to MCVWS (248.90 ± 142.91, P<0.05) and normal control group (107.87 ± 76.14 pg/ml, P<0.01).

Conclusions:

Our preliminary data demonstrated that conduction slowing in diabetic DSP is associated with poor diabetic control and increased serum NEFL suggestive of ongoing axonal loss. Work in progress to investigate if there is a correlation between NEFL and the severity of conduction slowing (suggestive of primary demyelination with secondary axonal loss), as well as with other biomarkers of neuroinflammation.


10.1212/WNL.0000000000204938