The effect of long term treatment with penicillamine on the copper content in the liver in patients with Wilson's disease.
Determination of hepatic copper concentration is the most exact criterion in the diagnosis of Wilson's disease. In the course of penicillamine therapy the copper content in the liver decreases, but normal values are achieved only after five or more years of treatment. Normalisation of the hepatic cooper concentration lags distinctly behind the clinical state. Distinct improvement of clinical state is already reached after a half to one year of treatment. The correlation between hepatic copper concentration and the amount of copper's excreted in the urine is statistically significant before the starting of treatment and during administration of penicillamine as well. The urinary copper excretion is a good indirect and indicator of the copper concentration in the liver.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D010396:Penicillamine