Impact of autologous hematopoetic stem cell transplantation on the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis

Objective: To evaluate the impact of autologous hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) in the health related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with multiple sclerosis. Method: The sample consisted of 34 patients, over 18 years old, treated at a University Hospital in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. For data collection MOS SF-36 and EDSS scales were applied at three time points: admission of the patient, hospital discharge and 1 year posttransplantation. Results: 27 patients (79%) showed stabilization or neurological improvement 1 year posttransplantation. At this time point, there was statistically significant improvement in all domains of the HRQoL. When EDSS scores were correlated with the domains of the MOS SF-36 scale, statistically significant correlations were found with physical functioning at the three time points analysed. Conclusion: In spite of the high risk of complications of the procedure, the HSCT had positive impact in the health related quality of life.