be overlooked because of behavior problems that make examination difficult. Children with MPS type III often have an increased tolerance to pain. Bumps, bruises, or ear infections that would be painful for other children often go unnoticed in children with MPS type III. Some children with MPS type III may have a blood-clotting problem during and after surgery. Genetics Mutations in four different genes can lead to Sanfilippo syndrome. This disorder is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. People with two working copies of the gene are unaffected. People with one working copy are genetic carriers of Sanfilippo syndrome. They have no symptoms but may pass down the defective gene to their children. People with two defective copies will suffer from Sanfilippo syndrome. Mechanism Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are chains of sugar molecules. They are found in the extracellular matrix and the cell membrane, or stored in the secretory granules. GAGs are stored in the cell lysosome, and are degraded by enzymes such as glycosidases, sulfatases, and acetyltransferases. Deficiency in these enzymes lead to the four subtypes of MPS III. Diagnosis Sanfilippo syndrome types A, B, C, and D are considered to be clinically indistinguishable, although mutations in different genes are responsible for each disease. The following discussion is therefore applicable to all four conditions. A urinalysis can show elevated levels of heparan sulfate in the urine. All four types of Sanfilippo syndrome show increased levels of GAGs in the urine; however, this is less true of Sanfilippo syndrome than other MPS disorders. Additionally, urinary GAG levels are higher in infants and toddlers than in older children. In order to avoid a false negative urine test due to dilution, it is important that a urine sample be taken first thing in the morning. The diagnosis may be confirmed by enzyme assay of skin fibroblasts and white blood cells. The enzyme assay is considered to be the most credible diagnostic tool because it detects whether or not the enzymes that are normally present in the cellular pathway that is responsible for breaking down heparan sulfate are present or not, thereby providing a definitive answer. This test is also ideal for younger patients in which collecting a viable urine sample is difficult or impossible. Another diagnostic tool can be gene sequencing. However, if the genetic mutation they carry has never been seen or recorded, the patient would receive a false negative. Prenatal diagnosis is