Screening for Fabry Disease in patients with unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 28;15(9):e0239675. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239675. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Fabry Disease (FD) is a systemic disorder that can result in cardiovascular, renal, and neurovascular disease leading to reduced life expectancy. FD should be considered in the differential of all patients with unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We therefore performed a prospective screening study in Edmonton and Hong Kong using Dried Blood Spot (DBS) testing on patients with undiagnosed LVH. Participants found to have unexplained LVH on echocardiography were invited to participate and subsequently subjected to DBS testing. DBS testing was used to measure α-galactosidase (α-GAL) enzyme activity and for mutation analysis of the α-galactosidase (GLA) gene, both of which are required to make a diagnosis of FD. DBS testing was performed as a screening tool on patients (n = 266) in Edmonton and Hong Kong, allowing for detection of five patients with FD (2% prevalence of FD) and one patient with hydroxychloroquine-induced phenocopy. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) by GLA genotype showed a higher LVMI in patients with IVS4 + 919G > A mutations compared to those without the mutation. Two patients were initiated on ERT and hydroxychloroquine was discontinued in the patient with a phenocopy of FD. Overall, we detected FD in 2% of our screening cohort using DBS testing as an effective and easy to administer screening tool in patients with unexplained LVH. Utilizing DBS testing to screen for FD in patients with otherwise undiagnosed LVH is clinically important due to the availability of effective therapies and the value of cascade screening in extended families.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Dried Blood Spot Testing
  • Echocardiography
  • Fabry Disease / diagnosis*
  • Fabry Disease / enzymology*
  • Fabry Disease / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Hong Kong / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / diagnosis*
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / enzymology*
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Prospective Studies
  • alpha-Galactosidase / genetics*

Substances

  • GLA protein, human
  • alpha-Galactosidase

Grants and funding

Edmonton sites (GYO) were supported through funding obtained from Sanofi-Genzyme (58233). Hong Kong sites (AL) were funded by Sanofi Genzyme (GZ-2015-11485) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Health and Medical Research Fund (05160976). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.