The effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II, Hunter disease) remains controversial although recent studies have shown HSCT provides more clinical impact. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of HSCT using the activity of daily living (ADL) scores in patients with MPS II. Sixty-nine severely affected MPS II patients (19 patients who received HSCT and 50 untreated patients) and 40 attenuated affected patients (five with HSCT and 35 untreated) were investigated by a simplified ADL questionnaire. The frequency of clinical findings and the scores of ADL (verbal, gross motor, and the level of care) were analyzed statistically. The mean age of onset of 19 severely affected patients who received HSCT was 1.40 years ± 1.06, which is not statistically different from that of 50 untreated patients (p = 0.11). Macroglossia, frequent airway infection, hepatosplenomegaly, joint contracture, and sleep apnea were less frequent in the HSCT-treated group of severe MPS II patients. The severe phenotype HSCT treated group reported a statistically significant higher score of verbal function and gross motor function between the ages of 10 and 15 years and a higher level of care score between 10 and 20 years. Patients with the attenuated phenotype showed high ADL scores, and all of five HSCT treated patients reported a lower frequency of frequent airway infection, coarse skin, umbilical/inguinal hernia, hepatosplenomegaly, heart valve disorders, and carpal tunnel. In conclusion, HSCT is effective, resulting in improvements in clinical features and ADL in patients with MPS II. HSCT should be re-reviewed as a therapeutic option for MPS II patients.
Effectiveness of early hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in preventing neurocognitive decline in mucopolysaccharidosis type II: A case series
