Figure 2.
Properties of nociceptive fibers in Fabry disease patients. (A) Conduction velocity (CV) in afferent C-fibers with and without heat response in patients with Fabry disease and healthy elderly controls. The mechano-responsive (CM) C-fibers (left side) with heat responses from patients with Fabry disease had higher CVs than those without heat responses (p < 0.05; ANOVA, post hoc LSD). No significant differences were found in CVs of mechano-insensitive (CMi) C-fibers. (B) Heat thresholds in CM C-fibers were significantly higher in patients with Fabry disease than in healthy controls (p < 0.05; ANOVA, post hoc LSD). The thresholds of CM in patients with Fabry disease were more in the range of CMi C-fibers, which have physiologically higher heat threshsolds. (C) In patients with Fabry disease significantly more often C-fibers are found (p < 0.05, χ2 test), which have biophysical properties of mechano- and heat-responsive C-fibers (CMH) fibers, but show no mechanical response (CXi) than in healthy subjects. (D) Proportions of C-fiber subclasses in human patients with Fabry disease and elderly healthy controls. In patients with Fabry disease more afferent C-fibers without heat responsiveness and more fibers without heat and mechanical responsiveness were observed than in healthy controls.