Abstract: Objective To investigate the predictive value of atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) combined with blood uric acid/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) in the development of early diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 
Methods In total,314 patients with suspected DPN were selected from the Outpatient Department of Endocrinology, Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2022 to August 2023, and underwent neurophysiological examination after admission to the hospital. According to the results of the examination, 173 patients were finally diagnosed with DPN (DPN group), and the remaining 141 patients who were not diagnosed with DPN were assigned to the NDPN group. The general clinical data and nerve conduction velocity of the patients were collected, and the values of AIP and UHR were calculated. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between AIP, UHR and nerve conduction velocity, and logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the influencing factors of DPN. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of AIP and UHR alone and in combination was plotted to predict the occurrence of early DPN, and the predictive efficacy was evaluated. 
Results Comparison of gender, age and duration of diabetes mellitus between the two groups showed no significant difference (P＞0.05). Fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol  were not significantly elevated in the DPN group compared with the NDPN group, showing no significant difference (P＞0.05), while nerve conduction velocity, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,serum uric acid, AIP, and UHRshowed significant difference (P＜0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that AIP and UHRwere negatively correlated with nerve conduction velocity (P＜0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.038, 95%CI: 1.013-1.064), duration of disease (OR=1.122,95%CI: 1.012-1.244), AIP (OR=1.680,95%CI: 1.384-2.039), and UHR (OR=1.006,95%CI: 1.003-1.008) were independent risk factors for DPN (P＜0.05). The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) of AIP and UHR alone and in combination for predicting early DPN was 0.731 (95%CI: 0.676-0.785), 0.727 (95%CI: 0.671-0.783), 0.774 (95%CI: 0.722-0.826), respectively, with cut-off values of 2.25, 337.36, and 0.56, respectively, sensitivity of 63.6%, 65.3%, and 70.5%, and specificity of 74.5%, 72.3%, and 75.9%, respectively. 
Conclusion Both AIP and UHR are independent risk factors for inducing early DPN, and the combined application of the two has a higher value in predicting early DPN compared with a single indicator. 

Key words: atherosclerosis, diabetic neuropathies, serum uric acid, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol