Purpose: In this study, we aimed to describe the natural history of mucopolysaccharidosis I.
Methods: Data from 1,046 patients who enrolled in the MPS I Registry as of August 2013 were available for descriptive analysis. Only data from untreated patients and data prior to treatment for patients who received treatment were considered. Age at symptom onset, diagnosis, and treatment initiation were examined by geographic region and phenotype (from most to least severe: Hurler, Hurler-Scheie, and Scheie). For each symptom, frequency and age at onset were examined.
Results: Natural history data were available for 987 patients. Most patients were from Europe (45.5%), followed by North America (34.8%), Latin America (17.3%), and Asia Pacific (2.4%). Phenotype distribution was 60.9% for Hurler, 23.0% for Hurler-Scheie, and 12.9% for Scheie (3.2% undetermined) syndromes. Median age at symptom onset for Hurler, Hurler-Scheie, and Scheie syndromes was 6 months, 1.5 years, and 5.3 years, respectively; median age at treatment initiation was 1.5 years, 8.0 years, and 16.9 years, respectively. Coarse facial features and corneal clouding were among the most common symptoms in all three phenotypes.
Conclusion: A delay between symptom onset and treatment exists, especially in patients with attenuated mucopolysaccharidosis I. A better understanding of disease manifestations may help facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment and improve patient outcomes.