The value of electrochemical skin conductance measurement using Sudoscan® in the assessment of patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy

Abstract

Objective: To reappraise the value of electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) measurement by Sudoscan® to assess the distal involvement of small autonomic fibers in familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) due to various transthyretin (TTR) mutations.

Methods: ESC was measured at both hands and feet in 126 patients with either Val30Met (n = 65) or non-Val30Met (n = 61) TTR mutation. This series included clinically asymptomatic (n = 21) and paucisymptomatic (n = 30) patients, as well as patients with moderate (n = 37) or advanced (n = 38) TTR-FAP.

Results: ESC measures did not differ between patients according to the type of TTR variant and were reduced in 24% of clinically asymptomatic patients, 40% of paucisymptomatic patients, 65% of patients with moderate TTR-FAP, and 92% of patients with advanced TTR-FAP. ESC measures were found to correlate with patients' clinical status, especially assessed by the Neuropathy Impairment Score and Karnofsky Performance Status.

Conclusion: ESC measures well correlate with the severity of TTR-FAP and could provide early marker of the disease.

Significance: ESC measures appear to be relevant to evaluate distal autonomic involvement in the context of amyloidosis.

Keywords: Amyloidosis; Autonomic nervous system; Early marker; Skin conductance; Small fiber neuropathy; Transthyretin.