Clinical Information

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from deficient activity of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A) and the subsequent deposition of glycosylsphingolipids in tissues throughout the body, in particular, the kidney, heart, and brain. Variants within the GLA gene cause Fabry disease with severity and symptom onset dependent on the amount of residual enzyme activity. The classic form of Fabry disease occurs in male patients who have less than 1% alpha-Gal A activity. Symptoms usually appear in childhood or adolescence and can include acroparesthesias (burning pain in the extremities), gastrointestinal issues, multiple angiokeratomas, reduced or absent sweating, corneal opacity, and proteinuria. In addition, progressive renal involvement leading to kidney failure (formerly end-stage renal disease) typically occurs in adulthood, followed by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The estimated incidence varies from 1 in 3000 infants detected via newborn screening to 1 in 10,000 male patients diagnosed after onset of symptoms.

Measurement of alpha-Gal A in blood spots, leukocytes (AGAW / Alpha-Galactosidase, Leukocytes), or serum (AGAS / Alpha-Galactosidase, Serum) can reliably diagnose classic or variant Fabry disease in males. Male patients with residual alpha-Gal A activity greater than 1% may present with 1 of 3 variant forms of Fabry disease with onset of symptoms later in life: a kidney variant associated with kidney failure but without the pain or skin lesions; a cardiac variant typically presenting in the sixth to eighth decade with left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia, and proteinuria, but without kidney failure; and a cerebrovascular variant presenting as stroke or transient ischemic attack. The variant forms of Fabry disease may be underdiagnosed. Molecular genetic analysis of the GLA gene (FABRZ / Fabry Disease, Full Gene Analysis, Varies) allows for confirmation of a diagnosis of classic of variant Fabry disease in affected male patients with reduced alpha-Gal A activity.

Female patients who are carriers of Fabry disease can have clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic to severely affected. Measurement of alpha-Gal A activity is not generally useful for identifying carriers of Fabry disease, as many of these individuals will have normal levels. Therefore, molecular genetic analysis of the GLA gene (FABRZ / Fabry Disease, Full Gene Analysis, Varies) is recommended as the most appropriate diagnostic test to detect asymptomatic or symptomatic female carriers.

The biomarkers globotriaosylsphingosine (LGB3S / Globotriaosylsphingosine, Serum) and ceramide trihexosides (CTSU / Ceramide Trihexosides and Sulfatides, Random, Urine) may be elevated in patients with Fabry disease and can also be used in follow up of absent or reduced alpha-Gal A activity in both male and female patients.

Unless irreversible damage has already occurred, treatment with enzyme replacement therapy has led to significant clinical improvement in affected individuals. In addition, some (adult) patients may be candidates for an oral chaperone therapy. For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment are desirable, and in a few US states early detection of Fabry disease through newborn screening has been implemented.

Molecular genetic testing is the recommended diagnostic test for female patients