Biomaterial Database

Treatment of Wilson's disease with zinc. I. Oral zinc therapy regimens. 1987

G M Hill, and G J Brewer, and A S Prasad, and C R Hydrick, and D E Hartmann

The standard therapy for preventing copper accumulation in Wilson's disease, D-penicillamine, has been a life-saving drug, but it has many side effects and some patients are completely intolerant. We have been using oral zinc as another approach to the therapy for Wilson's disease, with copper balance studies as the key initial assessment of the adequacy of a given dose or regimen of zinc therapy. We earlier reported that an intensive regimen of zinc (zinc taken every 4 hr) was effective in controlling copper balance. We have now shown with balance studies that a simplified zinc therapy regimen of 50 mg zinc taken 3 times per day is effective in controlling copper balance. Preliminary work presented here with other simplified regimens also indicate their effectiveness. These studies increase the data base, in terms of copper balance, for zinc therapy of Wilson's disease, and expand the dose range and regimens of zinc which have been shown to control copper balance.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D003300	Copper	A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55.	Copper-63,Copper 63
D004334	Drug Administration Schedule	Time schedule for administration of a drug in order to achieve optimum effectiveness and convenience.	Administration Schedule, Drug,Administration Schedules, Drug,Drug Administration Schedules,Schedule, Drug Administration,Schedules, Drug Administration
D005260	Female		Females
D006527	Hepatolenticular Degeneration	A rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by the deposition of copper in the BRAIN; LIVER; CORNEA; and other organs. It is caused by defects in the ATP7B gene encoding copper-transporting ATPase 2 (EC 3.6.3.4), also known as the Wilson disease protein. The overload of copper inevitably leads to progressive liver and neurological dysfunction such as LIVER CIRRHOSIS; TREMOR; ATAXIA and intellectual deterioration. Hepatic dysfunction may precede neurologic dysfunction by several years.	Cerebral Pseudosclerosis,Neurohepatic Degeneration,Pseudosclerosis,Wilson Disease,Copper Storage Disease,Hepatic Form of Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepatocerebral Degeneration,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndrome,Kinnier-Wilson Disease,Progressive Lenticular Degeneration,Westphal-Strumpell Syndrome,Wilson Disease, Hepatic Form,Wilson's Disease,Cerebral Pseudoscleroses,Copper Storage Diseases,Degeneration Syndrome, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration Syndromes, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Hepatocerebral,Degeneration, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Neurohepatic,Degeneration, Progressive Lenticular,Degenerations, Hepatocerebral,Degenerations, Neurohepatic,Disease, Copper Storage,Diseases, Copper Storage,Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic Wilson,Diseases, Kinnier-Wilson,Hepato Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Diseases,Hepatocerebral Degenerations,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndromes,Kinnier Wilson Disease,Kinnier-Wilson Diseases,Lenticular Degeneration, Progressive,Neurohepatic Degenerations,Pseudoscleroses, Cerebral,Pseudosclerosis, Cerebral,Storage Disease, Copper,Storage Diseases, Copper,Syndrome, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Syndromes, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Westphal Strumpell Syndrome,Westphal-Strumpell Syndromes,Wilson Disease, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilson Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilsons Disease
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D015032	Zinc	A metallic element of atomic number 30 and atomic weight 65.38. It is a necessary trace element in the diet, forming an essential part of many enzymes, and playing an important role in protein synthesis and in cell division. Zinc deficiency is associated with ANEMIA, short stature, HYPOGONADISM, impaired WOUND HEALING, and geophagia. It is known by the symbol Zn.