Sural Nerve Sorbitol in Patients With Diabetic Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy
- Vera Bril, MD1,
- Yoshiyuki Ono, MSC2 and
- Robert A. Buchanan, MD3
- 1Department of Medicine, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- 2Clinical Development, Dainippon Pharmaceutical, Osaka, Japan
- 3Dainippon Pharmaceutical U.S.A., Teaneck, New Jersey
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Vera Bril, EN11-209, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2C4. E-mail: vera.bril{at}utoronto.ca
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Nerve sorbitol levels have been measured in sural nerve biopsy samples from patients with diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy in several studies using different methods and measurement units. In this study, we compared the results of sorbitol assays to determine the required sensitivity of analytical methods for nerve sorbitol measurements.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We performed a literature search using PaperChase for reports of nerve sorbitol in diabetic patients and selected those with nerve conduction studies to delineate the severity of nerve damage.
RESULTS—In patients who had undergone a nerve conduction study, the standardized nerve sorbitol levels were 0.034–0.300 nmol/mg wet nerve.
CONCLUSIONS—Our results showed the level of sensitivity required in laboratory methodology to perform this assay in the target population and aid in the planning of clinical research trials of aldose reductase inhibitor agents.
Footnotes
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V.B. is a paid consultant and principal investigator for Dainippon Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan).
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
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- Accepted February 12, 2004.
- Received July 14, 2003.
- DIABETES CARE
