Gustavo Cabrera

Time to treatment benefit for adult patients with Fabry disease receiving agalsidase β: data from the Fabry Registry

Background Agalsidase β is a form of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease, a genetic disorder characterised by low α-galactosidase A activity, accumulation of glycosphingolipids and life-threatening cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular events. In clinical trials, agalsidase β cleared glycolipid deposits from endothelial cells within 6 months; clearance from other cell types required sustained treatment. We hypothesised that there might be a ‘lag time’ to clinical benefit after initiating agalsidase β treatment, and analysed the incidence of severe clinical events over time in patients receiving agalsidase β. Methods The incidence of severe clinical events (renal failure, cardiac events, stroke, death) was studied in 1044 adult patients (641 men, 403 women) enrolled in the Fabry Registry who received agalsidase β (average dose 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks) for up to 5 years. Results The incidence of all severe clinical events was 111 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 84 to 145) during the first 6 months. After 6 months, the incidence decreased and remained stable within the range of 40–58 events per 1000 patient-years. The largest decrease in incidence rates was among male patients and those aged ≥40 years when agalsidase β was initiated. Conclusions Contrary to the expected increased incidence of severe clinical events with time, adult patients with Fabry disease had decreased incidence of severe clinical events after 6 months treatment with agalsidase β 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Trial registration number NCT00196742.

Vertebrobasilar Dolichoectasia in Fabry Disease The Earliest Marker of Neurovascular Involvement

Introduction:Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder associated with marked cerebrovascular involvement. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows different abnormalities, like...

Risk factors for severe clinical events in male and female patients with Fabry disease treated with agalsidase beta enzyme replacement therapy: Data from the Fabry Registry

BACKGROUND Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, causes intracellular accumulation of glycosphingolipids leading to progressive renal, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease, and premature death. METHODS This longitudinal Fabry Registry study analyzed data from patients with Fabry disease to determine the incidence and type of severe clinical events following initiation of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with agalsidase beta, as well as risk factors associated with occurrence of these events. Severe events assessed included chronic dialysis, renal transplantation, cardiac events, stroke, and death. RESULTS The analyses included 969 male and 442 female Fabry patients. The mean age at first agalsidase beta infusion was 35 and 44, and median treatment follow-up 4.3years and 3.2years, respectively. Among males, cardiac events were the most common on-ERT events, followed by renal, stroke, and non-cardiac death. Among females, cardiac events were also most common followed by stroke and renal events. Patients with on-ERT events had significantly more advanced cardiac and renal disease at baseline as compared with patients without on-ERT events. Severe events were also associated with older age at ERT initiation (males and females), a history of pre-ERT events (females; approaching statistical significance in males), and a higher urinary protein/creatinine ratio (females). Approximately 65% of patients with pre-ERT events did not experience subsequent on-ERT events. Of patients without pre-ERT events, most (84% of males, 92% of females) remained event-free. CONCLUSIONS Patients with on-ERT severe events had more advanced Fabry organ involvement at baseline than those without such events and patients who initiated ERT at a younger age had less residual risk of on-ERT events. The observed patterns of residual risk may aid clinicians in multidisciplinary monitoring of male and female patients with Fabry disease receiving ERT, and in determining the need for administration of adjunctive therapies.

Left ventricular aneurysm in an adult patient with mucopolysaccharidosis type I: Comment on pathogenesis of a novel complication

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-L-iduronidase. This enzyme is involved in the degradation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) dermatan and heparan sulphate and its deficiency results in the accumulation of GAGs and a progressive multisystem disease. Cardiac involvement is common in MPS patients and usually consists of progressive valvular thickening with incompetence and cardiomyopathy. We present an attenuated MPS I patient with a primary apical left ventricular aneurysm not associated with ischemia. We speculate that the defect in GAG catabolism leads not only to the storage of GAGs but also to alterations of the myocardial extracellular matrix. The latter ultimately being responsible for the formation of the aneurysm. This case emphasizes the importance of careful surveillance for cardiac lesions in MPS patients.

Clinical parameters, LysoGb3, podocyturia, and kidney biopsy in children with Fabry disease: is a correlation possible?

BackgroundFabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by α-galactosidase enzyme deficiency. We present clinical, biochemical, and histologic findings in children with classical phenotypic presentation of Fabry disease.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using charts from 14 children with confirmed diagnosis. Clinical parameters were evaluated. Globotriaosylsphingosine -lysoGb3- detection in plasma, podocyturia, and kidney biopsy were carried out in all cases.ResultsAll patients except one demonstrated at least one symptom of Fabry disease. LysoGb3 levels were above the normal range in all patients. Podocyturia was documented in all patients. Kidney biopsy revealed glomerular, interstitial, vascular, and tubular changes on light microscopy in nearly all patients. Electron microscopy showed podocyte inclusions in all patients.ConclusionsNo difference in symptomatology was discernible between boys and girls. Podocyturia was detectable in children serving as a possible early marker of kidney injury. LysoGb3 was elevated in all cases, emphasizing the importance for diagnosis especially in female patients with normal αGal A activity. A possible association between lysoGb3 and symptom severity and histological involvement in kidney biopsy should be assessed in prospective studies with enough statistical power to determine if lysoGb3 can be used to predict nephropathy in children with Fabry disease.

Fabry disease. A potential pitfall A family with a novel intronic mutation

Fabry disease is a genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in cell lysosomes resulting from an X-linked deficiency of α-galactosidase A activity. It presents with multiorgan manifestations, including progressive renal disease, cardiomyopathy and premature demise. Recently, its prevalence has been reported to be higher in hemodialysis (HD) patients than in the general population. We report two cases of homozygous patients with an intronic alpha-galactosidase gene mutation and a classic phenotype of the disease. One of the patients had a kidney transplant and the donor was his brother, before Fabry disease were diagnose.

Effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy in Fabry disease: Long term experience in Argentina

Evidence regarding long term effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in Fabry disease (FD) is needed. The aim of this study was to analyze in a cohort of FD patients in Argentina, the long term effectiveness of ERT on renal, cardiac and cerebrovascular parameters. Methods Patients with genetically proven FD were included from GADYTEF (Argentinean group for the treatment of FD) between 2001 and 2014. Renal, cardiac, and cerebral outcomes were prospectively studied in patients treated with ERT. Additionally, the occurrence of major cardiac complications, stroke, end-stage renal disease and death was analyzed during follow up. Results During the follow-up 8 major complications occurred in 5 patients (n = 2 deaths, n = 4 cases of end stage renal disease and n = 1 atrial fibrillation), 4 of them males and only 1 female who suffered an atrial fibrillation. Sudden death or stroke did not occur. Four (40%) of 10 males with baseline left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) reduced left ventricular mass index (LVMI) from 163.1 ± 64.7 to 123.4 ± 49.8 g/m2, 2 stabilized LVMI and 4 increased LVMI from157.9 ± 32.3 to 261.6 ± 48.6 g/m2. Estimated glomerular filtration was stable in 30 patients (17 males and 13 females). Conclusions We observed a few major complications during the follow up. Future studies are necessary to show the effectiveness of ERT in affected patients.

Interrupción de la terapia de reemplazo enzimático en la enfermedad de Fabry: mala evolución a propósito de un caso

Resumen Introduccion La enfermedad de Fabry es una enfermedad por deposito lisosomal, con herencia ligada al cromosoma X, causada por la deficiencia de la enzima α-galactosidasa A, lo que resulta en la acumulacion de glucoesfingolipidos en distintos tipos celulares. La terapia de reemplazo enzimatico especifica ha demostrado revertir algunos sintomas y disminuir la chance de eventos renales, cardiacos y cerebrovasculares. Objetivo Presentar la evolucion de un paciente con enfermedad de Fabry tras la interrupcion de la terapia de reemplazo enzimatico. Caso clinico Paciente masculino con diagnostico confirmado de enfermedad de Fabry por metodos bioquimicos y test genetico, que inicia tratamiento con agalsidasa beta, presentando dolor neuropatico en cuatro miembros, compromiso disautonomico, hipohidrosis e insuficiencia renal, con proteinuria nefrotica, sin compromiso cardiaco y ausencia de signos neurologicos centrales. La resonancia magnetica cerebral mostraba una isquemia lacunar periventricular derecha. Tras 2 anos de respuesta favorable a la terapia de reemplazo enzimatico, el paciente suspende el tratamiento. Se presenta dos anos despues con aumento del dolor neuropatico, compromiso cardiaco y nuevas imagenes isquemicas en la sustancia blanca. Conclusion El inicio del tratamiento con terapia de reemplazo enzimatico, aun en etapas avanzadas de la enfermedad, mostro una respuesta favorable, y la interrupcion del tratamiento es deleterea, mostrando un rapido reinicio de los sintomas propios de la enfermedad de Fabry.