0000000000338910
AUTHOR
Frank Baehner
Cardiac manifestations of Anderson-Fabry disease in heterozygous females.
AbstractObjectivesWe sought to define the prevalence of cardiac involvement in female patients with Anderson–Fabry disease (AFD).BackgroundAnderson–Fabry disease is a rare inborn X-linked lysosomal storage disorder. Globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), the major substrate of the deficient α-galactosidase A enzyme, accumulates progressively in vulnerable cells, including the cardiovascular system. It has been believed that heterozygous females have less cardiac involvement than hemizygous males with AFD.MethodsWe performed two-dimensional echocardiographic examinations of female patients heterozygous for AFD.ResultsSince 1997, a total of 55 female patients (mean age, 39.6 years; range, 6.1 to 70.8 y…
The Mainz Severity Score Index: a new instrument for quantifying the Anderson-Fabry disease phenotype, and the response of patients to enzyme replacement therapy
Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is an X-linked disorder caused by deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. The availability of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for this debilitating condition has led to the need for a convenient and sensitive instrument to monitor clinical effects in an individual patient. This study aimed to develop a scoring system--the Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI)--to measure the severity of AFD and to monitor the clinical course of the disease in response to ERT. Thirty-nine patients (24 males and 15 females) with AFD were assessed using the MSSI immediately before and 1 year after commencing agalsidase alfa ERT. Control data were obtained fro…