[Patients with type-II diabetes mellitus and neuropathy have no deficiency of vitamins A, E, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B6, B12 and folic acid].

The present study was aimed to determine the vitamin status of vitamins A, E, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B6, B12 and folate in plasma using HPLC and vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in erythrocytes using the apoenzyme stimulation test with the Cobas-Bio analyzer in 29 elderly type II diabetic women with (G1: n = 17, age: 68.6 +/- 3.2 years) and without (G2: n = 12, age: 71.8 +/- 2.7 years) diabetic polyneuropathy. The basic parameters as age, hemoglobin A1c, fructosamine and duration of the disease did not differ in both groups. Furthermore, retinopathy was assessed with fundoscopy and nephropathy with creatinine clearance. The creatinine clearance (G1: 50.6 +/- 3.4 vs. G2: 63.6 +/- 3.7 ml/min, 2p < 0.025) and the percentage of retinopathy (G1: 76.5% vs. G2: 16.7%, 2p = 0.002) were different indicating that G1 had significantly more severe late complications than G2. Current plasma levels of all measured vitamins (A, E, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B6, B12 and folate) and the status of B1, B2 and B6 in erythrocytes did not vary between the two groups (2p > 0.1). In summary, we found a lack of association between the actual vitamin condition in plasma and erythrocytes and diabetic neuropathy.