Background: Insulin Resistance IR in sensory neurons may contribute to the development of neurodegeneration. Cerebellar degeneration-related protein 1 antisense RNA (CDR1as) is abundantly expressed in islet cells. Thus, we aimed to investigate CDR1 as relative expression levels in Egyptian patients with IR and to assess its association with risk and severity of PN.
Methods: The current study conducted on fifty patients with IR (30 patients without PN and 20 patients with PN) and 45 subjects as control group . All participants were subjected to a complete clinical, neurological examination as well as laboratory and nerve conduction studies. CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels were evaluated by RT‑PCR
Results: Among IR patients ,there were statistically significant lower values of CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels (0.42±0.31)in PN group compared to IR patients without PN (0.67±0.31) and control group (1.2±0.41). MNCV and CMAP amplitude of median nerve& SNCV and SNAP amplitude of sural and median nerve were significantly decreased in IR patients with PN. There was significant positive correlation between CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels, QUICK, MNCV (median nerve), SNCV (median nerve), CMAP amplitude (median nerve) and SNAP amplitude (median, sural nerve). Among studied parameters, HOMA β, QUICKI, TCSS, CMAP amplitude of median nerve and SNAP amplitude of median nerve were independently correlated with CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels
Conclusion: IR patients with PN had statistically significant lower values of CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels than IR patients without PN additionally CDR1 mRNA relative expression levels associated with higher risk of IR and PN.