Higher plasma levels of HSP27 have been found in T2D subjects with better nerve function and fewer signs of neuropathy (Pourhamidi et al., 2011) and are lower in T1D subjects with large nerve fiber dysfunction (Pourhamidi et al., 2014), indicating that HSP27, and potentially some other HSPs, is neuroprotective. This evidence concerns the gene HSPB1 and neuropathy.