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Fabry Disease: Recognition, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Neurological Features

  • Cerebrovascular Disorders (HP Adams, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Opinion statement

Fabry disease is an X-linked, lysosomal storage disorder caused by a mutation in the GLA gene leading to a deficiency in alpha-galactosidase A enzyme (α-Gal A) activity, which in turn results in accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells of different organs, including kidney and heart, finally leading to impairment or failure of organ function. The central and peripheral nervous systems are also affected leading to neurological manifestations such as cerebrovascular diseases, small fiber neuropathy (SFN), and dysautonomic disorders that may be the presenting clinical features in a proportion of patients. This review offers a complete update of all neurological aspects of Fabry disease and therapeutic options. The rarity of disease, as well as the incomplete knowledge regarding natural history, pathogenic mechanisms, and the uncertain efficacy of available therapies, make imperative the acquisition of standardized data on natural disease course. These data are fundamental for the development of new treatments better able to access the central nervous system, to bypass the neutralizing antibodies and to improve the heart and kidney function.

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Acknowledgments

A special thank you to Dr. Myrna Rosenfeld for taking the time to review this manuscript and to Dr. Marzia Rivello, from Shire Pharmaceuticals Limited, for the support in the organization of multidisciplinary symposia on the disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cerebrovascular Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy

    Michela Ranieri MD, Eugenio Agostino Parati MD & Anna Bersano MD, PhD

  2. Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Cerebrovascular Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy

    Gloria Bedini PhD

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  1. Michela Ranieri MD
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  2. Gloria Bedini PhD
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  3. Eugenio Agostino Parati MD
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  4. Anna Bersano MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Bersano MD, PhD.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cerebrovascular Disorders

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Ranieri, M., Bedini, G., Parati, E.A. et al. Fabry Disease: Recognition, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Neurological Features. Curr Treat Options Neurol 18, 33 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-016-0414-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-016-0414-5

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