Metal element excretion in 24-h urine in patients with Wilson disease under treatment of D-penicillamine

A new fluorescence probe for detection of Cu+2 in blood samples: Circuit logic gate

A Fluorescence probe was designed based on 8-hydroxyquinoline chitosan silica precursor (HQCS) for selective detection of Al³⁺, Cu²⁺. The HQCS has no observable fluorescence signal, but after the addition of Al³⁺, a huge fluorescence signal appeared, and the selective quenching was absorbed after the addition of Cu²⁺. The effect of other different cations, including Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Ag⁺, Fe^3+, and K⁺ was studied. The addition of Cu²⁺ to the probe (HQCSAL) decreased the fluorescence very repeatable, and the variation of the fluorescence vs. Cu²⁺ was monotonic and linear. Therefore, the prepared probe was used to determine Cu²⁺ ions in real samples. The mechanism of fluorescence variation by adding cations to the probe solution was studied using the Stern-Volmer equation. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range and detection limit were 3.5-31 μM and 1 μM, respectively. The probe accuracy on the copper determination in the blood and tap waters was comparable to the ICP-OES results. The circuit logic gate mimic was designed for the fluorescence behavior of the probe constituents.

Copper dyshomeostasis in Wilson disease and Alzheimer's disease as shown by serum and urine copper indicators

Abnormal handling of copper is the cause of Wilson disease (WD), a rare disorder typified by increased levels in plasma copper not-bound to ceruloplasmin (nCp-Cu, also known as 'free' copper). In Alzheimer's disease (AD), meta-analyses show that copper decreases in brain but increases in serum, due to the nCp Cu component increase. Despite the similarities, a direct comparison of copper biological status in the two diseases has never been carried out. To fill this gap, we evaluated serum copper, ceruloplasmin, nCp-Cu and Cu:Cp in 385 CE and 336 healthy controls previously investigated that were compared with 9 newly diagnosed WD patients. We then assessed 24h copper urinary excretion in 24 WD patients under D-penicillamine (D-pen) treatment and in 35 healthy controls, and compared results with those of AD patients participating to a D-pen phase II clinical trial previously published. After adjusting for sex and age, serum nCp-Cu and Cu:Cp resulted higher in AD and in WD than in healthy controls (both p<0.001). While nCp-Cu was similar between AD and WD, Cu:Cp was higher in WD (p<0.016). 24h urinary copper excretion in AD patients (12.05μg/day) was higher than in healthy controls (4.82μg/day; p<0.001). 77.8% of the AD patients under D-pen treatment had a 24h urinary excretion higher than 200μg/day, suggestive of a failure of copper control. This study provides new insight into the pathophysiology of copper homeostasis in AD, showing a failure of copper control and the Cu:Cp ratio as an eligible marker.

Rationale for the Successful Management of EDTA Chelation Therapy in Human Burden by Toxic Metals

Exposure to environmental and occupational toxicants is responsible for adverse effects on human health. Chelation therapy is the only procedure able to remove toxic metals from human organs and tissue, aiming to treat damage related to acute and/or chronic intoxication. The present review focuses on the most recent evidence of the successful use of the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Assessment of toxic-metal presence in humans, as well as the rationale of EDTA therapy in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, is reported.