Targeting Inflammation With Salsalate in Type 1 Diabetes Neuropathy

Inclusion Criteria

• T1DM;
• age 18-70;
• mild DN as defined by symptoms and/or signs, confirmed by at least one abnormality in electrophysiology studies (abnormality of at least one attribute among conduction velocity, latency, amplitude or F-Wave in at least one nerve among sural sensory, ulnar sensory, or peroneal motor);
• sural nerve amplitude > 0 μV. If sural nerve amplitude is 0 μV (unrecordable) peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity must be ≥ 35 m/second*;
• on a stable insulin regimen for the 3 months prior to enrollment;
• be willing and capable of signing the IRB approved consent form and willing and able to cooperate with the medical procedures for the study duration;
• be willing to accept random treatment assignment to salsalate or placebo; and
• women of childbearing age agree to use an appropriate contraceptive method (hormonal, IUD, or diaphragm) for the duration of the study and must have a negative urine pregnancy test at screening.

Exclusion Criteria

• history of severe DN, active lower limb ulceration or lower limb amputation directly caused by diabetic neuropathy, or risk factors for any other causes of neuropathy (e.g. active hepatitis C, end stage renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus or a known hereditary neuropathy) as determined through medical history, family history, history of medications, occupational history, history of exposure to toxins, physical and neurological examinations);
• history of recent severe hypoglycemia (within prior 6 months) as defined by hypoglycemia resulting in coma or seizure or a history of recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or any diabetic ketoacidosis within the last three months.
• history of persistent macroalbuminuria [random urine microalbumin creatinine ratio (ACR) >300 mg/gm]. ACR up to 300 mg/gm is acceptable if serum creatinine is 60;
• serum creatinine >1.4 for women and >1.5 for men or eGFR 10 units/week;
• use of warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), dipyridamole (Persantine), heparin or other anticoagulants, probenecid (Benemid, Probalan), sulfinpyrazone (Anturane) or other uricosuric agents; Subjects must agree to not use high-dose aspirin during the course of the study. Daily low-dose aspirin treatment (not more than 81 mg per day) may be continued if currently prescribed.
• requiring long-term glucocorticoid therapy or chronic immunosuppressive therapy; Inhaled steroid use for management of asthma is not an absolute exclusion.
• use of lithium
• participation in an experimental medication trial within 3 months of starting the study;
• current therapy for malignant disease other than basal- cell or squamous-cell skin cancer;
• history of gastrointestinal bleeding or active gastric ulcer; screening laboratory abnormalities including AST (SGOT) and or ALT (SGPT) > 2.5 x the upper limit of normal (ULN), total bilirubin > 1.5 x ULN, platelets < 100,000;
• You have developed keloid scarring in the past. Keloids are large, thick masses of scar tissue. These are more common among dark-skinned people.
• presence of any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator would make it unlikely for the subject to complete 12 months of study participation, e.g., history of non- adherence to therapeutic regimens, presence of conditions likely to limit life expectancy, living situation that would interfere with study visit schedules such as a job requiring frequent or extended travel
• known hypersensitivity to salsalate. Patients who have experienced asthma, hives, or other allergic-type reactions to aspirin or other NSAIDs are excluded from participation. Patients with known or suspected aspirin or NSAID-sensitive asthma are excluded.

In addition, subjects with concurrent chicken pox, influenza, flu-like symptoms or other symptomatic viral illnesses should not be enrolled in the study until the illness or condition has resolved.

Subjects with known or suspected hypersensitivity to lidocaine or epinephrine may not be abl