SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

ATP7B

Wilson disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism with a prevalence of 1:7,000-1:30,000. Initial manifestations of the disease can be observed in the first days or weeks of life (dyspnea, apnea, and cyanosis). In 2/3 of cases the disease leads to death within the first year of life. Patients not affected by the life-threatening acute phase present with symptoms at an average age of 20 years old.

 

The disease is caused by pathogenic variants in the ATP7B gene, which disrupts the copper-binding region of an ATPase in the liver and kidney. There is an increase in free serum copper with decreased ceruloplasmin despite increased renal Cu2+ excretion, which has a cytotoxic effect in tissues.

 

A typical clinical feature of this disease is the golden-brown-green Kayser-Fleischer corneal ring. Neurological-psychiatric symptoms in adolescence, such as Parkinson-like rigor and tremor, are also common. Because effective therapeutics exist that significantly improve prognosis, early diagnosis of the condition is of particular importance. Wilson disease should be ruled out in any unexplained liver disease that occurs before the age of 35. Laboratory chemistry shows decreased serum ceruloplasmin and increased urinary copper excretion. Approximately 1/3 of patients with Wilson disease have a transversion from cytosine to adenine leading to a His1069Gln amino acid exchange. This variant (allele frequency approximately 0.3% in the Caucasian population) is associated with a relatively mild phenotype and delayed manifestation of symptoms.

 

References
Hermann & Huster 2018, Nervenarzt 89:115; Weiss KH. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., eds. GeneReviews® (Updated 2016); Coffey et al. 2013, Brain 136:1476; Moller et al. 2011, Eur J Hum Genet 19:335; Mak et al. 2008, J Hum Genet 53:55

GENES

ATP7B

ASSOCIATED TESTS

How to order

LATEST ARTICLES

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the breast cells. Genetic changes in the DNA of the healthy breast cells can lead to the formati...

Read more

Cardiovascular diseases affect the heart and blood vessels and are a leading cause of illness and death. Some are hereditary, and genetic testing can...

Read more

A recent study tracked molecular changes in 108 people over time, revealing that aging involves critical shifts around ages 44 and 60. These changes ...

Read more

In May 2024, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published new guidelines for germline genetic testing in patients with cancer (1). ...

Read more

Genetics as we know and understand it today has been shaped, over decades, by the work of many dedicated scientists around the world, and they all de...

Read more

A comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of 1.3 million cells from aged human brains reveals cellular pathways linked to Alzheimer’s diseas...

Read more

Infertility is a struggle for many individuals nowadays. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 6 people experience infertility, show...

Read more

A recent study highlights promising outcomes for BRCA variant carriers with breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving therapy. Analyzing 172 women, ...

Read more

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), sometimes called butterfly skin, is a group of rare skin diseases with a common symptom: fragile skin that tears and blis...

Read more

In the rapidly evolving field of human genetics diagnostics, laboratories face the challenge of keeping up with the latest advancements in technology...

Read more