Glycemic control predicts the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in diabetic neuropathy patients with a diabetic duration of at least 5 years: A cross-sectional study

<ns3:p>Background Diabetic neuropathy is one of the complications of diabetes that occurs due to poor glycemic control. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels can increase when patients are first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and can change in response to glycemic control conditions throughout the course of the disease. However, the correlation between glycemic control and BDNF remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate whether glycemic control can predict the BDNF levels in patients with diabetic neuropathy, based on diabetic duration. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 patients with diabetic neuropathy who were treated at a clinic in Central Java. We use glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels as a parameter of glycemic control, which were measured according to the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program. BDNF serum levels were evaluated using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method in the laboratory. Analysis was performed using the Spearman rank correlation and linear regression tests. Results The results of the study show that HbA1c levels in diabetic neuropathy patients with DM &lt;5 years and ≥5 years differed significantly (9.50% vs. 8.9%, p=0.049), while BDNF levels did not differ significantly (1136.98 pg/mL vs 948.07 pg/mL, p=0.172). There is a positive correlation between HbA1c and BDNF levels in patients with a diabetic duration of at least 5 years (r=0,423, p=0,007). There is no correlation between HbA1c and BDNF levels in patients with a diabetic duration of less than 5 years. The HbA1c level was a significant predictor of BDNF serum level in patients with DM duration of at least 5 years (B=120.317, 95% CI for B: 6.103 – 234.532, p=0.039). Conclusions The HbA1c levels significantly predict BDNF levels in patients with diabetic neuropathy who have had a diabetic duration of at least 5 years.</ns3:p>