title: Idebenone treatment in Friedreich's ataxia: neurological, cardiac, and biochemical monitoring.
abstract: The authors report 1-year prospective data on eight patients with Friedreich ataxia. Idebenone did not halt the progression of ataxia. At the end of therapy, cardiac ultrasound demonstrated significant reduction of cardiac hypertrophy in six of eight patients. Cardiac strain and strain rate imaging showed that the reduction of hypertrophy is preceded by an early and linear improvement in cardiac function. Idebenone reduced erythrocyte protoporphyrin IX levels in five of six patients with elevated baseline levels; however, changes did not consistently relate to cardiac improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. Gunnar.Buyse@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buyse
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Salvo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matthijs
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weidemann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eyskens
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goemans
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: J L K
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Van Hove
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005609:Free Radicals; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000096923:Frataxin
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D014451:Ubiquinone; D000096923:Frataxin; C028025:protoporphyrin IX; C036619:idebenone