title: Structural and functional changes in peripheral vasculature of Fabry patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disorder due to deficient alpha-galactosidase A activity, which leads to glycosphingolipid accumulation especially in vascular smooth-muscle and endothelial cells. Little is known about the effects of Fabry disease on peripheral artery function and structure. Therefore, we aimed to further characterize the peripheral vascular structural and functional changes in Fabry disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We measured structural and functional vascular parameters, including intima-media thickness (IMT) of brachial and carotid arteries and abdominal aorta, carotid and aortic compliance, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in 17 Fabry patients and 34 healthy controls matched for age, sex and smoking. Carotid IMT (0.64 +/- 0.15 vs 0.57 +/- 0.12 mm), brachial IMT (1.02 +/- 0.25 vs 0.74 +/- 0.18 mm), and aortic IMT (0.31 +/- 0.09 vs 0.26 +/- 0.04 mm) were significantly increased, and brachial FMD was significantly impaired (6.3 +/- 5.0 vs 9.7 +/- 3.9%) in Fabry patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05 in all comparisons after adjustments for age, LDL-cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure). No differences were observed in arterial compliance between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that Fabry disease affects arterial function and structure by disturbing peripheral endothelial function and promoting intima-media thickening.
authors.affiliation: Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. riikka.kalliokoski@tyks.fi
authors.forename: Riikka J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kalliokoski
authors.forename: Kari K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kalliokoski
authors.forename: Maila
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Penttinen
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kantola
authors.forename: Aila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leino
authors.forename: Jorma S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Viikari
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simell
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nuutila
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D000795:Fabry Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase