Plasma neurofilament light chain in type 2 diabetes: Associations with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, age, and renal function in a pilot cross-sectional study
5 affiliations
- 1Biomedical Centre Martin, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
- 2Department of Medical Biochemistry, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
- 3Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- 4Diabetology Outpatient Clinic, Vrútky, Slovakia
- 5Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Abstract
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a circulating marker of neuroaxonal injury, but its interpretation may be influenced by age and renal function. Objective: To evaluate the association between plasma NfL concentrations and DPN in T2DM while accounting for age and renal function. Methods: This pilot cross-sectional study included 41 patients with T2DM, of whom 20 had DPN diagnosed by a neurologist based on clinical and electrophysiological assessment and 21 had no DPN. Plasma NfL concentrations were measured using single-molecule array technology. Group differences and associations with clinical variables were assessed using non-parametric methods. Sequential linear regression models using natural log-transformed NfL evaluated the association of DPN status with NfL before and after adjustment for age and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: Plasma NfL concentrations were higher in patients with DPN than in those without DPN (median 12.96 vs 8.29 pg/mL, p = 0.035). In sequential regression analysis, DPN status was associated with higher ln-transformed NfL in the unadjusted model (B = 0.499, 95% CI 0.108–0.890; p = 0.014), but the association was attenuated after adjustment for age and eGFR (B = 0.241, 95% CI −0.040–0.522; p = 0.091). In the fully adjusted model, age and eGFR remained associated with ln(NfL), and the model explained 62.0% of its variance. Conclusions: Plasma NfL concentrations were higher in patients with DPN in unadjusted analyses, but the association was attenuated after accounting for age and renal function. These exploratory findings highlight the importance of considering age and renal function when interpreting circulating NfL concentrations in T2DM and require confirmation in larger prospective cohorts.
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BibTeX
@article{skorvanova2026plasma,
title = {{Plasma neurofilament light chain in type 2 diabetes: Associations with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, age, and renal function in a pilot cross-sectional study}},
author = {Michaela Škorvanová and Andrea Ižarik Verešpejová and Jozef Hanes and Radovan Plášil and Natália Huňarová and Jakub Šofranko and Li-Sheng Chien and Martin Kolísek},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357207},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357207},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Plasma neurofilament light chain in type 2 diabetes: Associations with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, age, and renal function in a pilot cross-sectional study
AU - Michaela Škorvanová
AU - Andrea Ižarik Verešpejová
AU - Jozef Hanes
AU - Radovan Plášil
AU - Natália Huňarová
AU - Jakub Šofranko
AU - Li-Sheng Chien
AU - Martin Kolísek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357207
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357207
AB - Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a circulating marker of neuroaxonal injury, but its interpretation may be influenced by age and renal function. Objective: To evaluate the association between plasma NfL concentrations and DPN in T2DM while accounting for age and renal function. Methods: This pilot cross-sectional study included 41 patients with T2DM, of whom 20 had DPN diagnosed by a neurologist based on clinical and electrophysiological assessment and 21 had no DPN. Plasma NfL concentrations were measured using single-molecule array technology. Group differences and associations with clinical variables were assessed using non-parametric methods. Sequential linear regression models using natural log-transformed NfL evaluated the association of DPN status with NfL before and after adjustment for age and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: Plasma NfL concentrations were higher in patients with DPN than in those without DPN (median 12.96 vs 8.29 pg/mL, p = 0.035). In sequential regression analysis, DPN status was associated with higher ln-transformed NfL in the unadjusted model (B = 0.499, 95% CI 0.108–0.890; p = 0.014), but the association was attenuated after adjustment for age and eGFR (B = 0.241, 95% CI −0.040–0.522; p = 0.091). In the fully adjusted model, age and eGFR remained associated with ln(NfL), and the model explained 62.0% of its variance. Conclusions: Plasma NfL concentrations were higher in patients with DPN in unadjusted analyses, but the association was attenuated after accounting for age and renal function. These exploratory findings highlight the importance of considering age and renal function when interpreting circulating NfL concentrations in T2DM and require confirmation in larger prospective cohorts.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -