Quality of Life and Increasing Role of Biomarkers in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Prediction of Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a long term serious complication associated with diabetes and is defined as the ulceration in diabetic patients caused due to peripheral neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease of lower limbs. It is one of the major and leading causes of lower extremity amputations and increased morbidity. Increased podiatric pressure, abnormal glycemic parameters and many other causes leads to healing and non-healing ulcers in diabetic patients. Quality of life in DFU patients vary depending upon the stages of ulcers and duration of ulcers. DFU patients with healed ulcer will have higher quality of life than the patient with non-healed and chronic ulcers. Health related quality of life decreased progressively with the poor healing of wounds. In current scenario biomarkers are playing a major role in drug discovery, preclinical pharmacological studies, clinical trials and post marketing studies. The general biomarker discussed in this review are transforming growth factor, procalcitonin, calprotectin, cystatinC, Osteoprotegerin-1, edothelin-1, CXCL-6, CXCL-12, Epithelial neutrophil activator, hypoxia inducible factor-1, Growth factors, Nitric oxide, Stem progenitor cell, Matrix metalloproteinase, Fibrinogen and Serpin B3. These above mentioned biomarkers are gaining importance in current scenario thus reducing morbidity and mortality rate.