Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common form of acquired thrombophilia associated with a high thrombotic risk. Fabry’s disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) gene and presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations, including a high rate of thrombosis. Previously reported, 45% of FD patients were found to have antiphospholipid autoantibodies.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of FD in patients with APS.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study. Data were collected from 41 APS patients at our outpatient clinic at Meir Medical Center in Israel. We utilized chemical and genetic analyses to identify FD among APS patients. Dried blood spot (DBS) was used to assess GLA activity in males, and mutational analysis of the GLA gene was performed by sequencing exons and their flanking regions in women.

Results: Among 41 antiphospholipid patients, one male patient was diagnosed with FD. Gal variants were not detected in any of the tested female patients.

Conclusions: We found a low prevalence (2.4%) of FD in APS patients. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of routine FD screening in this population.

Background: Recently, cognitive assessments of patients with Fabry disease highlighted neurocognitive impairment using test batteries that are time and labor intensive.

Objectives: To introduce a user-friendly self-administered tool for cognitive testing in patients with Fabry disease.

Methods: We used a computerized system requiring about 1 hour for patient follow-up. All patients with enzymatic and/or molecular diagnosis of Fabry disease seen in our clinic underwent assessment with the Fabry-specific Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI) with subscores (neurological, renal, cardiac, and general) and a Mindstreams neurocognitive battery for mild impairment, evaluating memory, executive function, attention, information processing, visual spatial processing, verbal function, and motor skills. A Global Cognitive Score (GCS) was also computed.

Results: Ten patients (3 males, 7 females) were tested (mean age 41.5, range 25–56 years). Males were younger, had moderate nephropathy and no cerebrovascular accident (CVA); their Mindstreams GCS was 85.6–107 points. Three females had mild-moderate (8,10,15 points) neurological MSSI subscores (two CVA); all females had Mindstreams GCS of 59–107.7 points. Below-average performance was prevalent, particularly in information processing and motor skills consistent with mild impairment. Average GCS in females (90.3 points) was lower than in males (98.2 points). For individual patients, performance was poorest in information processing (n=4), attention (n=2), motor skills (n=2), verbal function (n=1), and visual spatial processing (n=1).

Conclusions: MindStreams may simplify cognitive assessment monitoring in Fabry disease.