Aim of Investigation: The neurological manifestations of Fabry’s disease, a rare, X-linked, multisystem disorder caused by alpha-galactosidase A deficiency and globotriosylceramide (Gb3) accumulation, include both peripheral and central nervous system symptoms. Here we evaluated a prospectively recruited cohort of patients with Fabry’s disease for pain, small nerve fiber function, and skin innervation. Methods: 66 patients (31 male and 35 female) were enrolled，31 patients were on ERT. All patients underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST), electrophysiological examination, and extra- and transcranial Doppler sonography. For pain and mood assessment standardized questionnaires were used. Skin biopsies were performed at the left distal leg in 38 patients for intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) assessment. Results: Age at examination did not differ significantly between women (40.2+/-16.2 years) and men (38.9+/-13.8; n.s.). 29/31 male and 19/35 female patients complained of acroparesthesias or neuropathic pain. QST abnormalities indicative of small fiber impairment were found in 26/31 male and 28/35 female patients. Electrophysiological examination of large fibers and autonomic fibers revealed pathological findings in 11/31 male and 3/35 female patients. All patients had normal Doppler sonography results. Indicators for depression were present in 14/31 male and 10/35 female patients. 20/31 male and 18/35 female patients had a skin biopsy, the IENFD was significantly reduced in male (2.0+/-2.8 fibers/mm) compared with female patients (6.7 +/- 4.4 fibers/mm). In 10 patients free from neurological symptoms, QST and IENFD abnormalities were still detected. Follow up examination after one year in 12 patients under ERT (2.1+/-1.7 years) showed improvement in some symptoms and in QST and neurophysiology in six patients with normal renal function. 20/35 female patients older than 40 y had concomitant diseases, while none of the 18 younger female patients did. The corresponding radio in male patients was 5/19 (>=40y) and 2/13 (<40y) respectively. Conclusions: Neuropathic pain and sensory deficits of the distal extremities are common in patients with Fabry’s disease. QST and IENFD analysis are important for early diagnosis of nerve involvement in Fabry’s disease. Small fiber function may improve under ERT in patients without severe renal impairment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uni-wuerzburg.de/oai:opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de:2720 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | He, Lan |
| Source Sets | University of Würzburg |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | doctoralthesis, doc-type:doctoralThesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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