Agalsidase benefits renal histology in young patients with Fabry disease

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013 Jan;24(1):137-48. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2012030316.

Abstract

The effect of early-onset enzyme replacement therapy on renal morphologic features in Fabry disease is largely unknown. Here, we evaluated the effect of 5 years of treatment with agalsidase alfa or agalsidase beta in 12 consecutive patients age 7-33 years (median age, 16.5 years). We performed renal biopsies at baseline and after 5 years of enzyme replacement therapy; 7 patients had additional biopsies after 1 and 3 years. After a median of 65 months, biopsy findings from all patients showed total clearance of glomerular endothelial and mesangial cell inclusions, and findings from 2 patients showed complete clearance of inclusions from epithelial cells of the distal tubule. The 4 patients who received the highest dose of agalsidase exhibited substantial clearance of podocyte inclusions, and the youngest patient had nearly complete clearance of these inclusions. Linear regression analysis showed a highly significant correlation between podocyte globotriaocylceramide clearance and cumulative agalsidase dose (r=0.804; P=0.002). Microalbuminuria normalized in five patients. In summary, long-term enzyme replacement therapy in young patients can result in complete globotriaocylceramide clearance of mesangial and glomerular endothelial cells across all dosage regimens, and clearance of podocyte inclusions is dose-dependent.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Child
  • Enzyme Replacement Therapy*
  • Fabry Disease / drug therapy*
  • Fabry Disease / pathology
  • Fabry Disease / urine
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / administration & dosage
  • Isoenzymes / therapeutic use*
  • Kidney / drug effects*
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney Function Tests
  • Male
  • Proteinuria / urine
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Trihexosylceramides / urine
  • Young Adult
  • alpha-Galactosidase / administration & dosage
  • alpha-Galactosidase / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Isoenzymes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Trihexosylceramides
  • agalsidase alfa
  • globotriaosylceramide
  • alpha-Galactosidase
  • agalsidase beta