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Updated: Aug 9, 2025
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Three-dimensional Imaging of Nociceptive Intraepidermal Nerve Fibers in Human Skin Biopsies
Published on: April 29, 2013
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Abnormal Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Density in Disease: A Scoping Review.
S J Thomas1, J Enders1, A Kaiser1
1Sensory Nerve Disorder Lab, University of Kansas Medical Center, Anesthesiology Department, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|February 17, 2023
Summary
Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) loss is common in many human diseases, impacting quality of life. This review highlights IENFD
Area of Science:
- Neurology and Neuroscience
- Biomarker Research
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) is a key biomarker for diagnosing neuropathy and guiding research.
- Reduced IENFD can lead to sensory dysfunction, pain, and diminished quality of life.
- Understanding IENFD changes across diseases is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Approach:
- Conducted a scoping review of 1,004 PubMed articles using IENFD as a biomarker.
- Screened articles for inclusion criteria: control group, distal limb IENFD measurement, and PGP9.5 staining.
- Analyzed 397 publications for IENFD trends and loss percentages across various conditions.
Key Points:
- IENFD analysis is increasingly used in both human and non-human research.
- Metabolic and diabetes-related diseases show the highest prevalence of IENFD loss in humans and rodents.
- Identified 74 human diseases with affected IENFD, averaging a 47% loss; rodents showed average losses of 31.6% (mice) and 34.7% (rats).
Conclusions:
- Reduced IENFD is prevalent across numerous human diseases, contributing to complications like sensory loss and pain.
- Findings guide future rodent studies to better model human diseases with IENFD loss.
- Urges research into common mechanisms underlying IENFD loss as a disease complication.
