Effect of Enzyme Replacement Therapy on Basilar Artery Diameter in Male Patients With Fabry Disease

Background and Purpose- The effect of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on cerebrovascular complications remains largely unexplored. We aimed to investigate the relationship between basilar artery (BA) diameter and long-term ERT in patients with Fabry disease. Methods- We obtained baseline magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 patients (40.5±16.3 years, male: 14) in the single institution; among them, 21 patients prospectively had follow-up magnetic resonance imaging assessments. The short axis of BA diameter was measured at the midpons level on axial T2-weighted images. Brain magnetic resonance imaging measurements included markers of cerebral small vessel disease (lacunas, white matter hyperintensities, and cerebral microbleeds). We assessed variables associated with baseline BA diameter and annual BA diameter change using linear regression analyses. Results- Hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and white matter hyperintensities correlated with the initial BA diameter. After a mean interval of 7.2±4.6 years, the annual BA diameter change correlated positively with severe white matter hyperintensities and inversely with the duration of ERT (β=-0.48, P=0.033). After stratifying patients by sex, a significant correlation between the duration of ERT and BA diameter was found only in men (β=-0.72, P=0.019). Conclusions- Our results show a possible relationship between ERT and changes in BA diameter. Future studies to elucidate the clinical impact of BA changes as a potential surrogate marker are needed.