A Case of a 49-Year-Old Man with Nonclassical Fabry Disease Diagnosed by Renal Biopsy

Nephron ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Lanjun Fu ◽  
Peipei Zhang ◽  
Qingqing Ye ◽  
Manman Wu ◽  
Lingzhi He

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the galactosidase A (GLA) gene that result in deficiency of α-GLA activity, leading to major organ failure and premature mortality. According to different disease courses, FD can be divided into classical and nonclassical phenotypes. The nonclassical FD phenotype is always absent of characteristic symptoms, which makes identifying it challenging. This article presents a 49-year-old man with a 10-year history of proteinuria and decreased glomerular filtration rate. An electrocardiogram showed a complete right bundle branch block and abnormal Q waves in high lateral, accompanied by dramatically elevated ST segment. Consequently, a renal biopsy was performed. Vacuolation was found in many podocytes in light microscopic examinations. Similarly, a myelin-like structure was detected by electron microscopy. Pathological findings were most consistent with FD. Consequently, genetic analysis, p.R301Q (c.902G>A [p.Arg301Gln]), confirmed the FD diagnosis. Angiotensin receptor blocker and traditional Chinese medicine, but not enzyme replacement therapy, were prescribed due to financial constraints. The patient had stabilization of kidney disease 6 months later. The case showed that renal biopsy should be performed in patients with cardiac and renal symptoms, which could contribute toward the correct diagnosis for nonclassical FD type.

Author(s):  
Araceli Borja Borja ◽  
Gabriela Salas Pérez ◽  
Pablo Radillo Díaz

Introduction. Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder associated with multiple organ dysfunction which eventually leads to high morbidity and premature mortality. Ophthalmologic findings in FD are very common and have been described extensively. We describe the ophthalmologic findings of a family diagnosed with FD at Hospital de Especialidades de Puebla and establish their relationship with other phenotypic findings. Cases Presentation. A renal, cardiac, audiological, neurological, and ophthalmologic evaluation was carried out. The disease was confirmed by GLA gene sequencing. The ophthalmologic assessment was focused on the changes described in the literature, as well as the search for other anomalies possibly related to the disease. All the patients had the c.260delA (P.Glu87Glyfs*34) mutation in the GLA gene. The main ophthalmologic finding in our patients was cornea verticillata (in 100 % of the female patients). Other ophthalmologic manifestations were dry eye, retinal vessel tortuosity, ametropia, chromatic vision disorders, ocular annexes, eyelids, and conjuntiva disorders. Conclusions. Most of the assessed patients showed ophthalmologic changes, consistent with the results described in the literature. A remarkable finding in the sample was the high incidence of changes in women, in whom one would not expect the disease to be as severe because they are heterozygous. Ophthalmologic abnormalities in FD require deeper evaluation to establish their possible use as markers of disease progression and/or enzyme replacement therapy initiation due to the benefit of the non-invasive nature of ophthalmologic evaluations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilton Salles Rosa Neto ◽  
Judith Campos de Barros Bento ◽  
Rosa Maria Rodrigues Pereira

Abstract Background Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal disorder due to mutations in the GLA gene resulting in defective enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. FD patients are frequently misdiagnosed, commonly for rheumatic diseases. Determining pathogenicity of a mutation depends of in silico predictions but mostly on available clinical information and interpretation may change in light of evolving knowledge. Similar signs and symptoms in carriers of GLA gene genetic variants of unknown significance or of benign variants may hamper diagnosis. This study reviews rheumatic and immune-mediated manifestations in a cohort of Brazilian FD patients with classic mutations and also in subjects with GLA gene A143T and R118C mutations. Misdiagnoses, time to correct diagnosis or determination of GLA gene status, time to treatment initiation and reasons for treatment prescription in A143T and R118C subjects are reviewed. Methods Genotype confirmed classic FD patients (n = 37) and subjects with GLA gene mutations A143T and R118C (n = 19) were referred for assessment. Subjects with R118C and A143T mutations had been previously identified during screening procedures at hemodialysis units. All patients were interviewed and examined by a rheumatologist with previous knowledge of disease and/or mutation status. A structured tool developed by the authors was used to cover all aspects of FD and of common rheumatic conditions. All available laboratory and imaging data were reviewed. Results Thirty-seven consecutive FD patients were interviewed – 16 male / 21 female (mean age: 43.1 years) and 19 consecutive subjects with GLA gene mutations R118C and A143T were evaluated – 8 male / 11 female (mean age: 39.6 years); 15 [R118C] / 4 [A143T]. Misdiagnosis in FD patients occurred in 11 males (68.8%) and 13 females (61.9%) of which 10 males and 9 females were previously diagnosed with one or more rheumatic conditions, most frequently rheumatic fever or “rheumatism” (unspecified rheumatic disorder). Median time for diagnosis after symptom onset was 16 years (range, 0–52 years). Twenty-two patients were treated with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) – 13 male and 9 female. Median time to ERT initiation after FD diagnosis was 0.5 years (range, 0–15 years). Rheumatic manifestations occurred in 68.4% of R118C and A143T subjects. Two subjects had been prescribed ERT because of renal disease [R118C] and neuropsychiatric symptoms [A143T]. Conclusion Misdiagnoses occurred in 64.8% of FD patients, most frequently for rheumatic conditions. Median time for correct diagnosis was 16 years. Rheumatic manifestations are also frequent in subjects with GLA gene R118C and A143T mutations. These results reinforce the need to raise awareness and increase knowledge about Fabry disease among physicians, notably rheumatologists, who definitely have a role in identifying patients and determining disease burden. Decision to start treatment should consider expert opinion and follow local guidelines.


Author(s):  
Carlos Martínez-Figueroa ◽  
Karen Cortés-Sarabia ◽  
Hilda Guadalupe Catalán-Nájera ◽  
Micaela Martínez-Alarcón

AbstractObjectivesFabry disease is a hereditary disease caused by a mutation in the α-galactosidase A (GLA) gene resulting in the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in different organs. Timely diagnosis is crucial for the early initiation of treatment to avoid organic dysfunction secondary to lipid accumulation. In view of the above, a number of studies have been performed to assess the role of mulberry bodies as a new diagnostic tool. In this study, we report a case demonstrating the utility of this test.Case presentationWe report the case of a woman of advanced age without a history of chronic disease with symptoms consistent with urinary tract infection (dysuria, pelvic pain, and frequent urination). Based on laboratory test results, a diagnosis of anemia with concomitant chronic kidney disease was established. Urine test revealed microhematuria, proteinuria, urine sediment, and the presence of lipid particles consistent with mulberry bodies.ConclusionsThe identification of mulberry bodies and cells in urine sediment is an easy-to-use tool potentially useful in diagnosing Fabry disease, which may contribute to initiate enzyme replacement therapy in a timely manner and reduce systemic deterioration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1664
Author(s):  
Clara Carnicer-Cáceres ◽  
Jose Antonio Arranz-Amo ◽  
Cristina Cea-Arestin ◽  
Maria Camprodon-Gomez ◽  
David Moreno-Martinez ◽  
...  

Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficient alpha-galactosidase A activity in the lysosome due to mutations in the GLA gene, resulting in gradual accumulation of globotriaosylceramide and other derivatives in different tissues. Substrate accumulation promotes different pathogenic mechanisms in which several mediators could be implicated, inducing multiorgan lesions, mainly in the kidney, heart and nervous system, resulting in clinical manifestations of the disease. Enzyme replacement therapy was shown to delay disease progression, mainly if initiated early. However, a diagnosis in the early stages represents a clinical challenge, especially in patients with a non-classic phenotype, which prompts the search for biomarkers that help detect and predict the evolution of the disease. We have reviewed the mediators involved in different pathogenic mechanisms that were studied as potential biomarkers and can be easily incorporated into clinical practice. Some accumulation biomarkers seem to be useful to detect non-classic forms of the disease and could even improve diagnosis of female patients. The combination of such biomarkers with some response biomarkers, may be useful for early detection of organ injury. The incorporation of some biomarkers into clinical practice may increase the capacity of detection compared to that currently obtained with the established diagnostic markers and provide more information on the progression and prognosis of the disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6114
Author(s):  
Michel Boutin ◽  
Pamela Lavoie ◽  
Iskren Menkovic ◽  
Amanda Toupin ◽  
Mona Abaoui ◽  
...  

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene encoding the α-galactosidase A enzyme. This enzyme cleaves the last sugar unit of glycosphingolipids, including globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3), and galabiosylceramide (Ga2). Enzyme impairment leads to substrate accumulation in different organs, vascular endothelia, and biological fluids. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is a commonly used treatment. Urinary analysis of Gb3 isoforms (different fatty acid moieties), as well as lyso-Gb3 and its analogues, is a reliable way to monitor treatment. These analogues correspond to lyso-Gb3 with chemical modifications on the sphingosine moiety (−C2H4, −C2H4+O, −H2, −H2+O, +O, +H2O2, and +H2O3). The effects of sample collection time on urinary biomarker levels between ERT cycles were not previously documented. The main objective of this project was to analyze the aforementioned biomarkers in urine samples from seven Fabry disease patients (three treated males, three treated females, and one ERT-naïve male) collected twice a day (morning and evening) for 42 days (three ERT cycles). Except for one participant, our results show that the biomarker levels were generally more elevated in the evening. However, there was less variability in samples collected in the morning. No cyclic variations in biomarker levels were observed between ERT infusions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Feldt-Rasmussen

Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, results from deficient activity of the enzyme α-galactosidase A. Affected males with the classic phoenotype have acroparaesthesias, hypohidrosis, and corneal opacities in childhood and develop renal failure, cardiac hypertrophy or strokes in the third to fifth decade of life. Some female heterozygotes are asymptomatic, some as severely affected as males. The natural history of Fabry patients includes transitory cerebral ischaemia and strokes, even in very young persons of both genders. The mechanism is partly due to vascular endothelial accumulation of GL-3. White matter lesions on MRI occur. Both males and females can be safely treated with enzyme replacement; and thus screening for Fabry disease of young stroke populations should be considered. There are, however, no hard data of treatment effect on mortality and morbidity. The analyses of results from ongoing studirs will add to the decision on whether or not to screen young stroke patients for Fabry disease. Finally, stroke prophylactic therapy should be used liberally in patients of both genders with verified Fabry disease. This includes primary prevention such as lifestyle counseling, targeting blood pressure, managing atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, and ASA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Olga Azevedo ◽  
Miguel Fernandes Gago ◽  
Gabriel Miltenberger-Miltenyi ◽  
Nuno Sousa ◽  
Damião Cunha

Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations of the GLA gene that lead to a deficiency of the enzymatic activity of α-galactosidase A. Available therapies for FD include enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) (agalsidase alfa and agalsidase beta) and the chaperone migalastat. Despite the large body of literature published about ERT over the years, many issues remain unresolved, such as the optimal dose, the best timing to start therapy, and the clinical impact of anti-drug antibodies. Migalastat was recently approved for FD patients with amenable GLA mutations; however, recent studies have raised concerns that “in vitro” amenability may not always reflect “in vivo” amenability, and some findings on real-life studies have contrasted with the results of the pivotal clinical trials. Moreover, both FD specific therapies present limitations, and the attempt to correct the enzymatic deficiency, either by enzyme exogenous administration or enzyme stabilization with a chaperone, has not shown to be able to fully revert FD pathology and clinical manifestations. Therefore, several new therapies are under research, including new forms of ERT, substrate reduction therapy, mRNA therapy, and gene therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art on the currently approved and emerging new therapies for adult patients with FD.


2016 ◽  
Vol 311 (5) ◽  
pp. F1015-F1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester M. Pereira ◽  
Anatália Labilloy ◽  
Megan L. Eshbach ◽  
Ankita Roy ◽  
Arohan R. Subramanya ◽  
...  

Fabry nephropathy is a major cause of morbidity and premature death in patients with Fabry disease (FD), a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder. Gb3, the main substrate of α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A), progressively accumulates within cells in a variety of tissues. Establishment of cell models has been useful as a tool for testing hypotheses of disease pathogenesis. We applied CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to the GLA gene to develop human kidney cell models of FD in human immortalized podocytes, which are the main affected renal cell type. Our podocytes lack detectable α-Gal A activity and have increased levels of Gb3. To explore different pathways that could have distinct patterns of activation under conditions of α-gal A deficiency, we used a high-throughput antibody array to perform phosphorylation profiling of CRISPR/Cas9-edited and control podocytes. Changes in both total protein levels and in phosphorylation status per site were observed. Analysis of our candidate proteins suggests that multiple signaling pathways are impaired in FD.


Diseases ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Maria L. Gonzalez Suarez ◽  
Charat Thongprayoon ◽  
Panupong Hansrivijit ◽  
Juan Medaura ◽  
Pradeep Vaitla ◽  
...  

Background: Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder with progressive systemic deposition of globotriaosylceramide, leading to life-threatening cardiac, central nervous system, and kidney disease. Current therapy involves symptomatic medical management, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), dialysis, kidney transplantation, and, more recently, gene therapy. The aim of this systematic review was to assess outcomes of kidney transplantation among patients with FD. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database, from inception through to 28 February 2020, to identify studies that evaluate outcomes of kidney transplantation including patient and allograft survival among kidney transplant patients with FD. Effect estimates from each study were extracted and combined using the random-effects generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: In total, 11 studies, including 424 kidney transplant recipients with FD, were enrolled. The post-transplant median follow-up time ranged from 3 to 11.5 years. Overall, the pooled estimated rates of all-cause graft failure, graft failure before death, and allograft rejection were 32.5% (95%CI: 23.9%–42.5%), 14.5% (95%CI: 8.4%–23.7%), and 20.2% (95%CI: 15.4%–25.9%), respectively. In the sensitivity analysis, limited only to the recent studies (year 2001 or newer when ERT became available), the pooled estimated rates of all-cause graft failure, graft failure before death, and allograft rejection were 28.1% (95%CI: 20.5%–37.3%), 11.7% (95%CI: 8.4%–16.0%), and 20.2% (95%CI: 15.5%–26.0%), respectively. The pooled estimated rate of biopsy proven FD recurrence was 11.1% (95%CI: 3.6%–29.4%), respectively. There are no significant differences in the risks of all-cause graft failure (p = 0.10) or mortality (0.48) among recipients with vs. without FD. Conclusions: Despite possible FD recurrence after transplantation of 11.1%, allograft and patient survival are comparable among kidney transplant recipients with vs. without FD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Silva ◽  
Nicole Pestana ◽  
José Durães ◽  
Nuno Guimarães Rosa ◽  
Gil Silva

Abstract Background and Aims Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked hereditary disease. It results from mutations in the GLA gene, leading to deficient activity of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A and progressive accumulation of undegraded glycosphingolipids in cell lysosomes. Enzyme replacement therapy improved the natural course of this disease, but an early diagnosis is crucial for a successful treatment. Method A screening study for GLA gene mutations was conducted for all patients under dialysis, from a single centre. All the probands with a detectable mutation were analysed individually. Data on the patient's family and personal pathological history were retrospectively collected, by consulting the clinical file. Results 35 years-old female diagnosed with chronic proteinuric kidney disease in the postpartum period. Despite optimal medical treatment the disease progressed, and she started renal replacement therapy with peritoneal dialysis. Five years later she was enrolled in a pilot screening study for FD and the heterozygous mutation c.870G>C (p.Met290Ile; M290I) in exon 6 of the GLA gene was found. The proband didn’t meet the criteria for a definitive FD diagnosis, but she remained under follow-up at our nephrology metabolic diseases consultation, as the mutation was described as pathogenic and associated with a classic FD phenotype. Later that same year, reassessment exams revealed a worsening left ventricle mass index, a new ischemic cerebral lesion and a substantial increase in serum globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3) levels. These clinical changes led to the decision to initiate enzyme replacement therapy. Until now there are only a few descriptions of this genetic variant in the scientific literature. A Portuguese study analysed a total of 11 FD patients and described 2 patients with p.M290I mutation, without detectable Gb3 accumulation. Another study was designed to evaluate the genotype-phenotype relationship in 73 Chinese FD patients. Contrary to other reports, the p.M290I mutation was not associated to the classic FD phenotype. A Swiss investigation with a similar design analysed 69 FD patients during their routine annual examinations. M290I mutant enzyme was found in a 48-year-old heterozygous female with a classic FD phenotype but with a low serum LysoGb3. A Spanish newborn screening identified one male patient with FD and the p.M290I genetic variant but was unable to provide any information about the clinical expression of this mutation, since the diagnosis was made between the third and fifth days of life. The study describing the most patients carrying the M290I mutant enzyme is Brazilian and screened a total of 25,223 dialysis patients. Among 89 FD-positive patients, the p.M290I mutation was present in 22. However, the authors did not provide detailed information about the clinical manifestations or α-Gal A activity and LysoGb3 levels of these patients. Finally, a recent Portuguese screening of 150 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients found 25 patients with FD. Of these, one female carried the GLA gene variant p.M290I, with a non-detectable LysoGb3 plasma level. Conclusion We describe a case of FD due to a previously known but still poorly described GLA mutation, which offers strong evidence of its pathogenicity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of p.M290I mutation-associated disease activity evidenced by elevated levels of serum LysoGb3. Despite the absence of classic FD symptoms such as neuropathic pain, cornea verticillata and angiokeratoma, the presence of severe multiple organ evolvement, characterized by renal failure, cardiac disease and ischaemic stroke, strongly suggests a classic phenotype. Consequently, it is our opinion that the presence of a p.M290I GLA mutation should require a strict ongoing patient follow-up, as it may cause clinically significant disease.


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