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Finsterer J, Scorza FA. Small fiber neuropathy. Acta Neurol Scand 2022; 145:493-503. [PMID: 35130356 DOI: 10.1111/ane.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a peripheral nervous system disease due to affection of A-delta or C-fibers in a proximal, distal, or diffuse distribution. Selective SFN (without large fiber affection) manifests with pain, sensory disturbances, or autonomic dysfunction. Though uniform diagnostic criteria are unavailable, most of them request typical clinical features and reduced intra-epidermal nerve fiber density on proximal or distal skin biopsy. Little consensus has been reached about the treatment of SFN, why this narrative review aims at summarizing and discussing treatment options for SFN. Treatment of SFN can be classified as symptomatic, pathophysiologic, or causal. Prerequisites for treating SFN are an established diagnosis, knowledge about the symptoms and signs, and the etiology. Pain usually responds to oral/intravenous pain killers, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, or topical, transdermal specifications. Some of the autonomic disturbances respond favorably to symptomatic treatment. SFN related to Fabry disease or hATTR are accessible to pathogenesis-related therapy. Immune-mediated SFN responds to immunosuppression or immune-modulation. Several of the secondary SFNs respond to causal treatment of the underlying disorder. In conclusion, treatment of SFN relies on a multimodal concept and includes causative, pathophysiologic, and symptomatic measures. It strongly depends on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and etiology, why it is crucial before initiation of treatment to fix the diagnosis and etiology. Due to the heterogeneous clinical presentation and multi-causality, treatment of SFN should be individualized with the goal of controlling the underlying cause, alleviating pain, and optimizing functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Finsterer
- Neurology & Neurophysiology Center Vienna Austria
- Disciplina de Neurociência Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo/. (EPM/UNIFESP) São Paulo Brasil
| | - Fulvio A. Scorza
- Disciplina de Neurociência Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo/. (EPM/UNIFESP) São Paulo Brasil
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Johnson SA, Shouman K, Shelly S, Sandroni P, Berini SE, Dyck PJB, Hoffman EM, Mandrekar J, Niu Z, Lamb CJ, Low PA, Singer W, Mauermann ML, Mills J, Dubey D, Staff NP, Klein CJ. Small Fiber Neuropathy Incidence, Prevalence, Longitudinal Impairments, and Disability. Neurology 2021; 97:e2236-e2247. [PMID: 34706972 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000012894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES There are limited population-based data on small fiber neuropathy (SFN). We wished to determine SFN incidence, prevalence, comorbid conditions, longitudinal impairments, and disabilities. METHODS Test-confirmed patients with SFN in Olmsted, Minnesota, and adjacent counties were compared 3:1 to matched controls (January 1, 1998-December 31, 2017). RESULTS Ninety-four patients with SFN were identified, with an incidence of 1.3/100,000/y that increased over the study period and a prevalence of 13.3 per 100,000. Average follow-up was 6.1 years (0.7-43 years), and mean onset age was 54 years (range 14-83 years). Female sex (67%), obesity (body mass index mean 30.4 vs 28.5 kg/m2), insomnia (86% vs 54%), analgesic-opioid prescriptions (72% vs 46%), hypertriglyceridemia (180 mg/dL mean vs 147 mg/dL), and diabetes (51% vs 22%, p < 0.001) were more common (odds ratio 3.8-9.0, all p < 0.03). Patients with SFN did not self-identify as disabled with a median modified Rankin Scale score of 1.0 (range 0-6) vs 0.0 (0-6) for controls (p = 0.04). Higher Charlson comorbid conditions (median 6, range 3-9) occurred vs controls (median 3, range 1-9, p < 0.001). Myocardial infarctions occurred in 46% vs 27% of controls (p < 0.0001). Classifications included idiopathic (70%); diabetes (15%); Sjögren disease (2%); AL-amyloid (1%); transthyretin-amyloid (1%); Fabry disease (1%); lupus (1%); postviral (1%); Lewy body (1%), and multifactorial (5%). Foot ulcers occurred in 17, with 71% having diabetes. Large fiber neuropathy developed in 36%, on average 5.3 years (range 0.2-14.3 years) from SFN onset. Median onset Composite Autonomic Severity Score (CASS) was 3 (change per year 0.08, range 0-2.0). Median Neuropathy Impairment Scale (NIS) score was 2 at onset (range 0-8, change per year 1.0, range -7.9 to +23.3). NIS score and CASS change >1 point per year occurred in only AL-amyloid, hereditary transthyretin-amyloid, Fabry, uncontrolled diabetes, and Lewy body. Death after symptom onset was higher in patients with SFN (19%) vs controls (12%, p < 0.001), 50% secondary to diabetes complications. DISCUSSION Isolated SFN is uncommon but increasing in incidence. Most patients do not develop major neurologic impairments and disability but have multiple comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular ischemic events, and increased mortality from SFN onsets. Development of large fiber involvements and diabetes are common over time. Targeted testing facilitates interventional therapies for diabetes but also rheumatologic and rare genetic forms.
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Foschi M, Vacchiano V, Avoni P, Incensi A, Battaglia S, Donadio V, Panzeri E, Bassi MT, Liguori R, Rizzo G. Broadening the Spectrum of Adulthood X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy: A Report of Two Atypical Cases. Front Neurol 2019; 10:70. [PMID: 30787906 PMCID: PMC6372518 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (x-ALD) is a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the ABCD1 gene, which encodes for a peroxisomal very long chain fatty acid transporter. Clinically, x-ALD can present a wide spectrum of different phenotypes: asymptomatic carriers, Addison only, cerebral x-ALD, and myelopathy with/without evidence of peripheral axonopathy (Adrenomyeloneuropathy). We report on two cases of adult x-ALD, with atypical phenotypes: (Case 1) A 37-years-old male with a 2-years-long history of spastic paraparesis, urinary urgency, and subclinical adrenocortical insufficiency. As an atypical finding, the MRI showed multiple congenital brain development defects. (Case 2) A 63-years-old male with a previous diagnosis of Addison disease, with a 6-years-long history of spastic paraparesis. Two years later, he complained of severe and disabling burning pain in his feet. A nerve conduction study was normal, but a skin biopsy revealed autonomic and somatic small fiber neuropathy. In both cases, genetic testing disclosed hemizygous mutation in ABCD1 associated with x-ALD: c.1394-2A > G and p.(Thr254Met), respectively. While case 1 supports the key role of peroxisome functions in brain development, case 2 points to a possible selective and clinically relevant peripheral small fiber degeneration in x-ALD myelopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Foschi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veria Vacchiano
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Avoni
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alex Incensi
- UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stella Battaglia
- UOC Neuroradiologia, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Donadio
- UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Panzeri
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Lecco, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Bassi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Lecco, Italy
| | - Rocco Liguori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Sharma S, Tobin V, Vas PRJ, Malik RA, Rayman G. The influence of age, anthropometric and metabolic variables on LDIFLARE and corneal confocal microscopy in healthy individuals. PLoS One 2018. [PMID: 29518115 PMCID: PMC5843248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The laser Doppler imaging (LDI) FLARE and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) are reliable markers of small fibre function (SFF) and structure (SFS), respectively, but the impact of potential confounding variables needs to be defined. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age, anthropometric and biochemical variables on LDI and CCM. Methods 80 healthy volunteers (43 males) (age: 39.7±15.2 yrs.) underwent LDIFLARE and CCM assessment and the effect of age, anthropometric and biochemical variables was determined using multivariate analysis. Results There was an age-related decline in LDIFLARE (0.07cm2/yr; R2 = 0.669; p = <0.0001) and CCM parameters (CNFD: 0.05 fibres/mm2 /yr; R2 = 0.590; p = <0.0001, CNBD: 0.06 branches/mm2/yr; R2 = 0.549; p = 0.001and CNFL 0.07 mm/mm2/yr; R2 = 0.369; p = 0.009). BMI did not influence SFF (p = 0.08) but had a significant independent association with CNFD (p = 0.01). Fasting triglycerides (TG) independently influenced the LDIFLARE (βc:-0.204; p = 0.008) and all CCM indices (βc:-0.191 to -0.243; p = <0.05). HbA1c was significantly associated with CNFD only (p = 0.001) but not with LDIFLARE, CNBD or CNFL (p = ≥0.05). Blood pressure and total cholesterol were not associated with LDIFLARE or any CCM parameters. There was a significant correlation between LDIFLARE and all CCM parameters (p = ≤0.01). Conclusions This study shows that in healthy controls, both SFF measured by LDIFLARE and SFS assessed by CCM showed a significant inverse correlation with age and triglycerides, perhaps suggesting the use of age-specific normative values when interpreting these outcomes. Furthermore, this study shows that in healthy controls, despite measuring different neural parameters, both methods correlated significantly with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Sharma
- Diabetes Research Unit, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Tobin
- Diabetes Research Unit, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich, United Kingdom
| | - Prashanth R. J. Vas
- Department of Diabetes, The Kings College NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rayaz A. Malik
- Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar & Institute of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Gerry Rayman
- Diabetes Research Unit, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Mangus LM, Dorsey JL, Weinberg RL, Ebenezer GJ, Hauer P, Laast VA, Mankowski JL. Tracking Epidermal Nerve Fiber Changes in Asian Macaques: Tools and Techniques for Quantitative Assessment. Toxicol Pathol 2016; 44:904-12. [PMID: 27235324 PMCID: PMC4965306 DOI: 10.1177/0192623316650286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative assessment of epidermal nerve fibers (ENFs) has become a widely used clinical tool for the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathies such as diabetic neuropathy and human immunodeficiency virus-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN). To model and investigate the pathogenesis of HIV-SN using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected Asian macaques, we adapted the skin biopsy and immunostaining techniques currently employed in human patients and then developed two unbiased image analysis techniques for quantifying ENF in macaque footpad skin. This report provides detailed descriptions of these tools and techniques for ENF assessment in macaques and outlines important experimental considerations that we have identified in the course of our long-term studies. Although initially developed for studies of HIV-SN in the SIV-infected macaque model, these methods could be readily translated to a range of studies involving peripheral nerve degeneration and neurotoxicity in nonhuman primates as well as preclinical investigations of agents aimed at neuroprotection and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Mangus
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jamie L Dorsey
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachel L Weinberg
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gigi J Ebenezer
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter Hauer
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Current Affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Victoria A Laast
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Current Affiliation: Covance Pharmaceutical Research and Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Joseph L Mankowski
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Transcriptome Analysis of Chemically-Induced Sensory Neuron Ablation in Zebrafish. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148726. [PMID: 26863206 PMCID: PMC4749159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral glia are known to have a critical role in the initial response to axon damage and degeneration. However, little is known about the cellular responses of non-myelinating glia to nerve injury. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of wild-type and mutant (lacking peripheral glia) zebrafish larvae that were treated with metronidazole. This treatment allowed us to conditionally and selectively ablate cranial sensory neurons whose axons are ensheathed only by non-myelinating glia. While transcripts representing over 27,000 genes were detected by RNAseq, only a small fraction (~1% of genes) were found to be differentially expressed in response to neuronal degeneration in either line at either 2 hrs or 5 hrs of metronidazole treatment. Analysis revealed that most expression changes (332 out of the total of 458 differentially expressed genes) occurred over a continuous period (from 2 to 5 hrs of metronidazole exposure), with a small number of genes showing changes limited to only the 2 hr (55 genes) or 5 hr (71 genes) time points. For genes with continuous alterations in expression, some of the most meaningful sets of enriched categories in the wild-type line were those involving the inflammatory TNF-alpha and IL6 signaling pathways, oxidoreductase activities and response to stress. Intriguingly, these changes were not observed in the mutant line. Indeed, cluster analysis indicated that the effects of metronidazole treatment on gene expression was heavily influenced by the presence or absence of glia, indicating that the peripheral non-myelinating glia play a significant role in the transcriptional response to sensory neuron degeneration. This is the first transcriptome study of metronidazole-induced neuronal death in zebrafish and the response of non-myelinating glia to sensory neuron degeneration. We believe this study provides important insight into the mechanisms by which non-myelinating glia react to neuronal death and degeneration in sensory circuits.
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Bordier L, Dolz M, Monteiro L, Névoret ML, Calvet JH, Bauduceau B. Accuracy of a Rapid and Non-Invasive Method for the Assessment of Small Fiber Neuropathy Based on Measurement of Electrochemical Skin Conductances. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:18. [PMID: 26973597 PMCID: PMC4770015 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lyse Bordier
- Service d’Endocrinologie, Hôpital d’Instruction-des-Armées-Bégin, Saint-Mandé, France
| | - Manuel Dolz
- Service d’Endocrinologie, Hôpital d’Instruction-des-Armées-Bégin, Saint-Mandé, France
| | | | | | | | - Bernard Bauduceau
- Service d’Endocrinologie, Hôpital d’Instruction-des-Armées-Bégin, Saint-Mandé, France
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