'Free' copper in serum of Alzheimer's disease patients correlates with markers of liver function.
Non-ceruloplasmin bound copper ('free') seems slightly elevated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. To test the hypothesis of a correlation between 'free' copper and liver function in AD. We evaluated 51 AD patients and 53 controls through typical tests for chronic liver disease (AST, ALT, gamma-GT, Albumin, prothrombin time - PT-, bilirubins), along with copper, ceruloplasmin, iron, cholesterol in the serum and apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOE4) genotype. Absolute serum copper and 'free' copper were higher, albumin was lower and PT longer in AD patients than in controls. 'Free' copper correlated negatively with markers of liver function, in that albumin and albumin/PT ratio (r = -0.43, p = 0.004), and positively with direct bilirubin. Copper and 'free' copper were higher in the APOE4 carriers. These results suggest that abnormalities in copper metabolism might have an effect on liver function in AD.
Squitti
R
R
Department of Neuroscience, AFaR - Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy. rosanna.squitti@afar.it
Ventriglia
M
M
Barbati
G
G
Cassetta
E
E
Ferreri
F
F
Dal Forno
G
G
Ramires
S
S
Zappasodi
F
F
Rossini
P M
PM
D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000418:Albumins; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin