TY  - JOUR
A1  - Krämer, Johannes
A1  - Bijnens, Bart
A1  - Störk, Stefan
A1  - Ritter, Christian O.
A1  - Liu, Dan
A1  - Ertl, Georg
A1  - Wanner, Christoph
A1  - Weidemann, Frank
T1  - Left ventricular geometry and blood pressure as predictors of adverse progression of Fabry cardiomyopathy
JF  - PLoS ONE
N2  - Background 
In spite of several research studies help to describe the heart in Fabry disease (FD), the cardiomyopathy is not entirely understood. In addition, the impact of blood pressure and alterations in geometry have not been systematically evaluated. 

Methods 
In 74 FD patients (mean age 36±12 years; 45 females) the extent of myocardial fibrosis and its progression were quantified using cardiac magnetic-resonance-imaging with late enhancement technique (LE). Results were compared to standard echocardiography complemented by 2D-speckle-tracking, 3D-sphericity-index (SI) and standardized blood pressure measurement. At baseline, no patient received enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). After 51±24 months, a follow-up examination was performed. 

Results 
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was higher in patients with vs. without LE: 123±17 mmHg vs. 115±13 mmHg; P = 0.04. A positive correlation was found between SI and the amount of LE-positive myocardium (r = 0.51; P<0.001) indicating an association of higher SI in more advanced stages of the cardiomyopathy. SI at baseline was positively associated with the increase of LE-positive myocardium during follow-up. The highest SBP (125±19 mmHg) and also the highest SI (0.32±0.05) was found in the subgroup with a rapidly increasing LE (ie, ≥0.2% per year; n = 16; P = 0.04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis including SI, SBP, EF, left ventricular volumes, wall thickness and NT-proBNP adjusted for age and sex showed SI as the most powerful parameter to detect rapid progression of LE (AUC = 0.785; P<0.05). 

Conclusions 
LV geometry as assessed by the sphericity index is altered in relation to the stage of the Fabry cardiomyopathy. Although patients with FD are not hypertensive, the SBP has a clear impact on the progression of the cardiomyopathy.
KW  - cardiovascular magnetic resonance
KW  - clinical manifestations
KW  - disease
KW  - identification
KW  - fibrosis
KW  - 2-dimensional speckle tracking
KW  - myocardial infarction
KW  - therapy
KW  - diagnosis
KW  - impact
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145131
VL  - 10
IS  - 11
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Weidemann, Frank
A1  - Sanchez-Nino, Maria D.
A1  - Politei, Juan
A1  - Oliveira, João-Paulo
A1  - Wanner, Christoph
A1  - Warnock, David G.
A1  - Oritz, Alberto
T1  - Fibrosis: a key feature of Fabry disease with potential therapeutic implications
JF  - Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases
N2  - Fabry disease is a rare X-linked hereditary disease caused by mutations in the AGAL gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the current cornerstone of Fabry disease management. Involvement of kidney, heart and the central nervous system shortens life span, and fibrosis of these organs is a hallmark of the disease. Fibrosis was initially thought to result from tissue ischemia secondary to endothelial accumulation of glycosphingolipids in the microvasculature. However, despite ready clearance of endothelial deposits, ERT is less effective in patients who have already developed fibrosis. Several potential explanations of this clinical observation may impact on the future management of Fabry disease. Alternative molecular pathways linking glycosphingolipids and fibrosis may be operative; tissue injury may recruit secondary molecular mediators of fibrosis that are unresponsive to ERT, or fibrosis may represent irreversible tissue injury that limits the therapeutic response to ERT. We provide an overview of Fabry disease, with a focus on the assessment of fibrosis, the clinical consequences of fibrosis, and recent advances in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis that may suggest novel therapeutic approaches to Fabry disease.
KW  - Fabry
KW  - fibrosis
KW  - podocyte
KW  - Lyso-Gb3
KW  - kidney
KW  - enzyme replacement therapy
KW  - alpha-galactosidase-A
KW  - focal semental glomerulosclerosis
KW  - cardiovascular magnetic-resonance
KW  - left-ventricular hypertrophy
KW  - biopsy findings
KW  - agalsidase-beta
KW  - natural-history data
KW  - cardiac energy metabolism
KW  - randomized controlled trial
Y1  - 2013
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-124773
SN  - 1750-1172
VL  - 8
IS  - 116
ER  -