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Fabry disease (FD), or Andersen-Fabry disease, is a rare hereditary lysosomal disease (sphingolipids storage disease) characterized by progressive multisystem involvement. The major symptoms among children are neuropathic pain / acroparesthesia, angiokeratomas, hypo- or anhidrosis, vortex keratopathy. Biochemical tests, molecular genetic testing, and family screening play crucial role in the diagnosis of the disease. Specific pathogenetic treatment of FD includes enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant medications of the lysosomal enzyme -galactosidase A. ERT initiation before the development of severe organs and systems’ damage contributes to its higher efficacy. This article covers various aspects of pathogenesis, clinical picture features in childhood, modern methods of diagnosis and management of FD according to literature data.

Fabry disease (FD) is a severe lysosome storage disease caused by congenital deficiency of the enzyme α-galactosidase A and characterized by the risk of renal failure combined with cardiovascular and CNS complications. According to the currently available information, the early start of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) leads to a significant improvement in patient’s condition.The aim of the study is to assess whether the timely ERT prevents severe FD complications and to calculate the number of prevented cases as depending on the time of ERT start.Materials and methods. The proposed model is based on the published results on patients with FD, receiving agalsidase alpha as ERT (no data for agalsidase beta was found). The expected number of cases with life-threatening complications was calculated for different starting timepoints and durations of the ERT.Results. In patients with FD, continuous ERT during five years reduces the number of serious cardiovascular and renal complications by 25%. An early start of ERT makes it possible to additionally (as compared with a late start) prevent the complications in more than 20% of cases.Conclusion. The early initiation of RPT in patients with FD can significantly reduce the occurrence of severe lifethreatening complications, increase the patients’ survival and improve their quality of life.

This article is an analysis of the clinical case of differential diagnosis of Fabry disease. Pecular symptoms and the principles of diagnosis of Fabry disease, as well as current treatment options for this disease are presented.

We analysed the clinical history of 16 hemizygous males affected by Anderson-Fabry Disease, from four families, to verify their intrafamilial phenotypic variability. Seven male patients, ranging from 26 to 61 years of age, died, whereas nine (age range 23-55) are alive. Eleven patients have undergone enzyme replacement therapy ( ERT) for a period of 5-10 years. We have found a wide range of intrafamilial phenotypic variability in these families, both in terms of target-organs and severity of the disease. Overall, our findings confirm previous data from the literature showing a high degree of intrafamilial phenotypic variability in patients carrying the same mutation. Furthermore, our results underscore the difficulty in giving accurate prognostic information to patients during genetic counselling, both in terms of rate of disease progression and involvement of different organs, when such prognosis is solely based on the patient's family history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Fabry disease does not show a clear benefit in angiokeratoma. We describe two Japanese siblings with Fabry disease, who were diagnosed when angiokeratomas were found on the older sibling at the age of 13years. Neither of the boys complained of pain, while both suffered from hypohidrosis. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ERT with recombinant human agalsidase alfa (Replagal®, Dainippon-Sumitomo Pharma. Co., Osaka, Japan) in these siblings over a 5-year period. In both siblings, sweating was observed 3months after the initiation of ERT, which motivated them to adhere to ERT. Pain sensation was regained after 12 to 36months of ERT, followed by a decrease after 48 to 60months. Angiokeratomas on the lateral side of the knee of the older sibling partially disappeared after 48months of ERT. Although the height of both siblings at baseline was lower than the corresponding average age-related heights in the normal Japanese population, during ERT they were within, or close to, the average + 1 standard deviation in the non-Fabry population. Their growth rate seemed to indicate catch-up growth. Other clinical symptoms were maintained at baseline levels. Immunoglobulin G anti-agalsidase alfa antibodies were not detected in both sibling during ERT, and no infusion-associated reaction was observed. The treatment was generally well tolerated. ERT was a safe and effective treatment for angiokeratoma and neuropathic pain for these two siblings with Fabry disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two women treated with agalsidase alpha for Fabry disease developed severe heart dysfunctions a few months after the beginning of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). An adverse effect caused by the treatment was suspected; therefore we informed the French pharmacovigilance authorities about these two events. Collecting data systematically about adverse effects which might be caused by drugs is essential for orphan diseases in order to detect potential adverse effects which cannot be suspected at first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder characterized by multi-organ dysfunction, including hearing loss – mainly sensorineural. The recent introduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has resulted in improvements in renal and cardiac function, pain and quality of life. One study has also suggested small improvements in high-frequency hearing. In this paper, we study the effect of ERT on hearing in patients in the Europe-wide database – the Fabry Outcome Survey (FOS). Materials and methods Twenty-six patients in FOS had pure-tone audiometry performed up to 6 months before starting ERT with agalsidase alpha and after a median of 12 months of treatment. We assessed changes in hearing thresholds, expressed as deviations from the 50th centile of the normal population (International Organization for Standardization ISO 7029) to correct for age-related non-specific hearing deterioration. Results Hearing did not change significantly in ears with normal hearing (less than 10 dB deviation from the 50th centile of ISO 7029) or those with severe hearing loss (more than 40 dB deviation from the 50th centile of ISO 7029) at baseline. In ears with a mild or moderate hearing loss at baseline, hearing thresholds, expressed as deviations from the normal 50th centile, improved significantly by 4–7 dB at most frequencies ( P < 0·05). Conclusions Agalsidase alpha stabilizes, and possibly improves, hearing in Fabry patients who have not already progressed to severe hearing loss. Further follow-up of these patients will determine the longer-term effects of ERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabry disease is characterized by deficient activity of α-galactosidase A, which results in accumulation of glycolipids, such as globotriaosylceremide, in various tissue. Clinical symptoms are varied. In childhood, pain in extremities, hypohidrosis, and angiokeratoma are main symptoms, In adulthood, renal, cardiac and cerebrovascular symptoms are occurred In past, only symptomatic treatments were available. In early 2000th, enzyme replacement therapy was developed after positive results of clinical trials. Ten years after approval, the data of long term safety and efficacy of enzyme replacement.