INTRODUCTION Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disorder due to abnormalities in the GLA gene (Xq22). Such changes result in the reduction/absence of activity of the lysosome enzyme α-GAL, whose function is to metabolize globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Renal disease is a major clinical outcome of the accumulation of Gb3. Podocyte injury is thought to be a major contributor to the progressive los...

Fabry disease is an under-recognized X-linked recessive lysosomal storage disorder resulting from the deficient activity of the enzyme α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). The first case of Fabry disease in Slovenia was diagnosed in 1991. This 46 year-old male was referred for dermatologic evaluation of a purpura on his abdomen. He was being treated for proteinuria and cardiac symptoms. The diagnosis o...

BACKGROUND In Fabry disease, storage of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in arterial walls is one of the main pathogenetic factors that are thought to underlie the clinical manifestations of the disease. Abnormalities of the vessel wall, haemodynamics and pro- and anticoagulant factors may play a role, though the exact pathophysiology is incompletely understood. In this study, we try to clarify inco...

Laura Fancellu, MD Giovanni Andrea Deiana, PhD GianPietro Sechi, MD A 41-year-old man with chronic hypertension presented in a transient, global confusional state. The patient had neuropathic pain and kidney disease, the significance not recognized by his doctors. Family history was positive for hypertension and kidney disease. Brain CT, MRI, and magnetic resonance angiography showed abnormalit...

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal disease caused by deficiency of α-galactosidase, in which early diagnosis may be missed due to the wide variety of clinical symptoms presenting during disease progression. A 13 year-old boy visited our pain clinic complaining of pricking and burning pain in the toe tips of both feet. Continuous epidural infusion for pain management was performed because of...

Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disease arising from deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. Two recombinant protein therapeutics, Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) and Replagal (agalsidase alfa), have been approved in Europe as enzyme replacement therapies for Fabry disease. Both contain the same human enzyme, alpha-galactosidase A, but they are produced using different protein expressi...

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of alpha-galactosidase A that affects males and shows disease expression in heterozygotes. The characteristic progressive renal insufficiency, cardiac involvement, and neuropathology usually are ascribed to globotriaosylceramide accumulation in the endothelium. However, no direct correlation exists between lipid storage...

Fabry disease, also called Anderson-Fabry disease, is the second most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder. It is an X-linked inborn error of the glycosphingolipid metabolic pathway [1]. The accumulation of a metabolic product, called globotriaosylceramide, within lysosomes in a wide variety of cells [2], produces the many manifestations of the disease, which include: severe neuropathic or limb...

The time for starting a patient with Fabry disease on enzyme replacement therapy is still a matter of debate, particularly when no overt classical clinical signs or symptoms are present. With respect to Fabry nephropathy, a dual problem coexists: the reluctance of many nephrologists to start enzyme replacement infusion until signs of renal disease appear as the appearance of proteinuria or an e...

Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive glycolipid storage disease. It is caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A and leads to the accumulation of the enzyme substrate, globotriasylceramide (Gb3) in many tissues including endothelial cells, pericytes and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels, renal epithelial cells, cardiac myocytes and numerous neuronal cells. In this ...