Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy: A single-center experience “Better prognosis in earlier stage”

Background: ALD is a rare X-linked peroxisomal metabolic disorder with many distinct phenotypes of disease that emerge on a wide scale from adrenal insufficiency to fatal cALD which progresses to a vegetative state within a few years. Currently, HSCT is the only treatment method known to stabilize disease progression in patients with cALD. In this study, we aim to report our HSCT experience in patients with cALD and the factors that determine the success of HSCT, as a single-center experience. Methods: The study cohort involves 23 boys with cALD and three patients with ALD trait and new-onset abnormal behavior who underwent allogeneic HSCT between January 2012 and September 2019 in our transplantation center. Loes scoring, NFS, scale and MFD were performed for evaluating the severity of the cerebral disease. The study cohort was divided into two groups according to baseline NFS and Loes score: early-stage (NFS ≤ 1 and Loes score <9) and advanced stage (NFS > 1 or Loes score ≥9). Results: The pretransplant stage of disease impacted both OS and MFD-free survival. The estimated OS and MFD-free survival at 3 years in patients with advanced disease were 46.1% (95% CI 19.0–73.2) and 23.1% (95% CI 0.2–46.0), respectively, and all patients with the early disease were alive (p:.004) and MFD-free (p <.001) at 3 years. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that early HSCT is vital in patients with cALD. The early-stage disease had a significant survival advantage and free from disease progression after HSCT.