Acute Liver Failure due to Wilson Disease: Eight Years of the National Liver Transplant Program in Uruguay

Cope with copper: From molecular mechanisms of cuproptosis to copper-related kidney diseases

Cuproptosis has recently been identified as a novel regulatory mechanism of cell death. It is characterized by the accumulation of copper in mitochondria and its binding to acylated proteins. These characteristics lead to the downregulation of iron-sulfur cluster proteins and protein toxicity stress, ultimately resulting in cell death. Cuproptosis is distinct from other types of cell death, including necrosis, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis. Cu induces oxidative stress damage, protein acylation, and the oligomerization of acylated TCA cycle proteins. These processes lead to the downregulation of iron-sulfur cluster proteins and protein toxicity stress, disrupting cellular Cu homeostasis, and causing cell death. Cuproptosis plays a significant role in the development and progression of various kidney diseases such as acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, kidney transplantation, and kidney stones. On the one hand, inducers of cuproptosis, such as disulfiram (DSF), chloroquinolone, and elesclomol facilitate cuproptosis by promoting cell oxidative stress. In contrast, inhibitors of Cu chelators, such as tetraethylenepentamine and tetrathiomolybdate, relieve these diseases by inhibiting apoptosis. To summarize, cuproptosis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of kidney disease. This review comprehensively discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying cuproptosis and its significance in kidney diseases.

Kidney involvement in Wilson's disease: a review of the literature

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare inherited disease due to the mutation of the ATP7B gene, resulting in impaired hepatic copper excretion and its pathological accumulation in various organs such as the liver, the nervous system, or the kidneys. Whereas liver failure and neuropsychiatric disorders are the most common features, less is known about the renal complications. We conducted a review of the literature to define the characteristics and pathophysiology of kidney involvement during WD. This review shed light on strong evidence for direct copper toxicity to renal tubular cells. Excessive tubular copper accumulation might present with various degrees of tubular dysfunction, ranging from mild hydroelectrolytic and acid-base disorders to complete Fanconi syndrome. Proximal and distal renal tubular acidosis also favors development of nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, and bone metabolism abnormalities. Indirect complications might involve renal hypoperfusion as occurs in hepatorenal or cardiorenal syndrome, but also tubular casts' formation during acute hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, or bile cast nephropathy. Acute kidney failure is not uncommon in severe WD patients, and independently increases mortality. Finally, specific and long-term therapy by D-penicillamin, one of the most efficient drugs in WD, can cause glomerular injuries, such as membranous nephropathy, minimal-change disease, and, rarely, severe glomerulonephritis. Altogether, our study supports the need for interdisciplinary evaluation of WD patients involving nephrologists, with regular monitoring of tubular and glomerular functions, to provide adequate prevention of renal and bone involvement.

Wilson's Disease with Acute Hepatic Onset: How to Diagnose and Treat It

Wilson's disease (WD) with acute onset poses a diagnostic challenge because it is clinically indistinguishable from other acute liver diseases. In addition, serum ceruloplasmin and urinary copper excretion, the first-line diagnostic tools for WD, can show false positive results in the case of acute liver failure, and the diagnostic role of genetic analysis is limited by the time required to perform it. In the case of fulminant onset, there is a clear indication of liver transplantation. "New Wilson Index" is frequently used to discriminate between patients who need liver transplantation versus those who can be successfully managed by medical treatment, but its reliability remains controversial. Timely referral of patients with acute liver failure due to WD may be a key factor in improving patient survival. Although liver transplant very often represents the only chance for such patients, maximum effort should be made to promote survival with a native liver. The management of these aspects of WD is still a matter of debate and will be the subject of this review.

Wilson disease: a summary of the updated AASLD Practice Guidance

Wilson disease (WD) is caused by autosomal variants affecting the ATP7B gene on chromosome 13, resulting in alterations in physiological copper homeostasis and copper accumulation. Excess copper clinically manifests in many organs, most often in the central nervous system and liver, ultimately causing cirrhosis and death. Often considered a pediatric or young adult disease, WD actually affects patients of all ages, and aging patients need to be regularly managed with long-term follow-up. Despite over a century of advances in diagnosis and treatment, WD is still associated with diagnostic challenges and considerable disability and death, in part due to delays in diagnosis and limitations in treatment. Standard-of-care treatments are considered generally effective when the diagnosis is timely but are also limited by efficacy, safety concerns, multiple daily dosing, and adherence. This expert perspective review seeks to facilitate improvements in the awareness, understanding, diagnosis, and management of WD. The objectives are to provide a full overview of WD and streamline updated diagnosis and treatment guidance, as recently published by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, in a practical way for clinical use.

Elastography of the Liver in Wilson's Disease

Staging of liver fibrosis is of special significance in Wilson's disease as it determines the patient's prognosis and treatment. Histopathological examination is a standard method for fibrosis assessment; however, non-invasive methods like transient elastography and share wave elastography are believed to be reliable and repetitive and are expected to replace liver biopsy in Wilson's disease. This article presents a short description of available elastography techniques and the results of the most recent studies on elastography of the liver in patients with Wilson's disease.

Pitfalls in the management of metabolic liver diseases (debate)

Background

The liver has an important role in the different metabolic processes. So, inborn errors of metabolism will result in several metabolic disorders, which can cause acute or chronic liver disease leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Main body

In one of our Egyptian conferences, the United Conference of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases (UCHID) 2022, our authors discussed the debates on the management of Wilson’s disease, hereditary hemochromatosis, and alpha one anti-trypsin deficiency.

Conclusion

The session summarized the pitfalls in the management of the 3 serious metabolic liver disorders with focused take-home messages to every physician.

Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare but life-threatening disease process that can result in rapidly progressive encephalopathy, elevated intracranial pressure, and multiorgan failure. In the United States, the 2 most common causes of ALF in the intensive care unit (ICU) are acetaminophen overdose and hypoxic-ischemic hepatopathy. Less common causes of ALF include alcoholic hepatitis, nonacetaminophen drug-induced liver injury, acute viral hepatitis, Wilson's disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and acute fatty liver of pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are many cases in which the cause of liver failure is indeterminate. ALF is an ICU emergency that requires close monitoring, extensive workup to determine etiology, frequent support of hemodynamic, respiratory, and renal function, administration of targeted therapies depending on the cause, utilization of N-acetylcysteine if appropriate, and consideration for liver transplant in select cases. The primary objective of this article is to define, diagnose, and detail the management of ALF in an ICU setting.

Screening for Wilson's disease in acute liver failure: A new scoring system in children

BACKGROUND

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare cause of acute liver failure (ALF) and has a high fatality rate. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is important for ALF because of WD (ALF-WD). Our objective was to establish a simple, rapid, and accurate diagnostic test to distinguish ALF-WD from non-WD ALF (NWDALF) in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data from all cases with pediatric ALF were retrospectively collected and analyzed. We performed receiver operator characteristics curve (ROC) analysis and confirmed the optimum cut-off points.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients with pediatric ALF (12 with WD, 46 with other etiologies) were included. Older age was observed in ALF-WD compared to NWDALF (11.16 ± 2.51 years vs. 3.34 ± 3.81 years, p < 0.001). An analysis based on routine biochemical testings revealed that total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST:ALT ratio, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ALP:TBil ratio, serum albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, cholinesterase, hemoglobin, and platelet were statistically significant between the ALF-WD and NWDALF groups. The optimum cut-off points were obtained through ROC analysis. A scoring system was formed by assigning a score of 1 or 0 to patients who met the 13 cut-off points. Using ROC analysis, we determined a cut-off point of ≥ 6.5 for ALF-WD with 91.7% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity (p < 0.0001). In addition, a best cut-off point of ≥ 1.5 based on only five variables (ALT, AST, AST:ALT ratio, ALP, and ALP:TBil ratio), had 100% sensitivity and 91.3% specificity for ALF-WD (p < 0.0001). Based on this, when age was calculated as the sixth indicator, the best cut-off value of ≥ 2.5 had 100% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity (p < 00.0001).

CONCLUSION

Our study developed a new scoring system that consists of simple laboratory tests with good sensitivity and specificity and can be used by clinicians to quickly distinguish ALF-WD from NWDALF in children.

Acute liver failure with hemolytic anemia in children with Wilson’s disease: Genotype-phenotype correlations?

BACKGROUND

Wilson’s disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder of copper metabolism. Acute liver failure (ALF) and hemolytic anemia represent the most severe presentation of WD in children. No clear genotype-phenotype correlations exist in WD. Protein-truncating nonsense, frame-shift, or splice-site variants may be associated with more severe disease. In contrast, missense variants may be associated with late-onset, less severe disease, and more neurological manifestations. Recently, a gene variant (HSD17B13:TA, rs72613567) with a possible hepatic protective role against toxins was associated with a less severe hepatic phenotype in WD.

AIM

To analyze the possible genotype-phenotype correlations in children with WD presented with ALF and non-immune hemolytic anemia.

METHODS

The medical records of children with WD diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2006 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical manifestations (ALF with non-immune hemolytic anemia or other less severe forms), laboratory parameters, copper metabolism, ATP7B variants, and the HSD17B13:TA (rs72613567) variant were reviewed to analyze the possible genotype-phenotype correlations.

RESULTS

We analyzed the data of 51 patients with WD, 26 females (50.98%), with the mean age at the diagnosis of 12.36 ± 3.74 years. ALF and Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia was present in 8 children (15.67%), all adolescent girls. The Kayser-Fleisher ring was present in 9 children (17.65%). The most frequent variants of the ATP7B gene were p.His1069Gln (c.3207A>G) in 38.24% of all alleles, p.Gly1341Asp (c.4021G>A) in 26.47%, p.Trp939Cys (c.2817G>T) in 9.80%, and p.Lys844Ter (c.2530A>T) in 4.90%. In ALF with hemolytic anemia, p.Trp939Cys (c.2817G>T) and p.Lys844Ter (c.2530A>T) variants were more frequent than in other less severe forms, in which p.His1069Gln (c.3207A>G) was more frequent. p.Gly1341Asp (c.4021G>A) has a similar frequency in all hepatic forms. For 33 of the patients, the HSD17B13 genotype was evaluated. The overall HSD17B13:TA allele frequency was 24.24%. Its frequency was higher in patients with less severe liver disease (26.92%) than those with ALF and hemolytic anemia (14.28%).

CONCLUSION

It remains challenging to prove a genotype-phenotype correlation in WD patients. In children with ALF and hemolytic anemia, the missense variants other than p.His1069Gln (c.3207A>G) and frame-shift variants were the most frequently present in homozygous status or compound heterozygous status with site splice variants. As genetic analysis is usually time-consuming and the results are late, the importance at the onset of the ALF is questionable. If variants proved to be associated with severe forms are found in the pre-symptomatic phase of the disease, this could be essential to predict a possible severe evolution.

Diagnostic Dilemma and Treatment Outcome in Acute Liver Failure Due to Wilson's Disease

Background

Wilson’s disease (WD) manifesting as acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition, and spontaneous recovery is rare. Diagnostic scores like the alkaline phosphatase elevation/total bilirubin elevation ratio and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio can distinguish WD from other ALF etiologies. Liver transplantation plays a major role in treating these patients, and the revised Wilson Index is useful in patient selection for this procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic scores, treatments, and outcomes of a large cohort of patients with WD-ALF.

Material/Methods

Twenty adult patients of a historical cohort admitted from January 2001 to December 2017 were prospectively observed. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiology data, and treatment, time on the waiting list for liver transplantation, and outcomes were recorded.

Results

No diagnostic laboratory scores were 100% positive in patients with WD-ALF. Cut-off values for the alkaline phosphatase/total bilirubin ratio and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio were met by 65.0% and 80.0% of patients, respectively. All patients met at least 1 criterion for high risk of death (Nazer or revised Wilson Index) and qualified for liver transplantation. In 9 patients, albumin dialysis was used before surgery. Survival after liver transplantation was 85.0% and 74.4% after 1 month and 1 year, respectively.

Conclusions

Further research on a novel diagnostic score in WD-ALF is warranted. Adult patients suspected to have WD as the cause of ALF should be treated in the referral liver transplantation unit. Liver transplantation makes long-term survival possible for patients with this critical illness.

Pediatric Wilson disease presenting as acute liver failure: Prognostic indices

BACKGROUND

Acute liver failure (ALF) can be a primary presentation of Wilson disease (WD). Mortality rates are high in WD with ALF (WDALF). Predictions of mortality in WDALF vary by model and are sometimes contradictory, perhaps because few patients are studied or WD diagnoses are questionable.

AIM

To determine the outcomes among well-documented WDALF patients and assess mortality model performance in this cohort.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of our pediatric WDALF patients (n = 41 over 6-years-old, single-center retrospective study) and compared seven prognostic models (King’s College Hospital Criteria, model for end-stage liver disease/pediatric end-stage liver disease scoring systems, Liver Injury Unit [LIU] using prothrombin time [PT] or international normalized ratio [INR], admission LIU using PT or INR, and Devarbhavi model) with one another.

RESULTS

Among the 41 Han Chinese patients with ALF, WD was established by demonstrating ATP7B variants in 36. In 5 others, Kayser-Fleischer rings and Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia permitted diagnosis. Three died during hospitalization and three underwent liver transplantation (LT) within 1 mo of presentation and survived (7.3% each); 35 (85.4%) survived without LT when given enteral D-penicillamine and zinc-salt therapy with or without urgent plasmapheresis. Parameters significantly correlated with mortality included encephalopathy, coagulopathy, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity, bilirubin, ammonia, and serum sodium levels. Area under the receiver operating curves varied among seven prognostic models from 0.981 to 0.748 with positive predictive values from 0.214 to 0.429.

CONCLUSION

WDALF children can survive and recover without LT when given D-penicillamine and Zn with or without plasmapheresis, even after enlisting for LT.

Comparing the Protective Effects of Curcumin and Ursodeoxycholic Acid after Ethanol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rat Liver

BACKGROUND

Alcohol consumption can cause hepatitis and long-term cirrhosis of the liver. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of curcumin (CUR) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) alone and together in the prevention and treatment of liver damage caused by overuse of ethanol.

METHODS

Adult Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups of 5, including the control group and various combinations of ethanol, CUR and UDCA groups. Twenty-eight days after the oral treatment, serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and Arginase I (ArgI) as well as serum levels of Albumin (Alb), total protein (TP) and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) were measured, and liver tissue was evaluated histopathologically.

RESULTS

The solo administration of CUR, UDCA and CUR+UDCA had no effect on the blood parameters and liver tissue compared to the control group (p>0.05). The solo administration of CUR and UDCA in ethanol-treated rats significantly reduced ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, ArgI and BUN levels (p<0.05), while the solo administration increased Alb and TP levels compared to the ethanol group (p<0.05). In these groups, a significant decrease in cell necrosis and local inflammation of hepatocytes was observed, and the liver damage was mild. However, co-administration of ethanol, CUR and UDCA made significantly greater decrease in ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, ArgI and BUN levels (p>0.05), while the co-administration greatly increased Alb and TP levels compared to the ethanol group (p<0.05). Histopathologically, a decrease in structural changes in liver tissue and inflammation was observed, resulting in the improvement of liver tissue.

CONCLUSION

The solo administration of CUR and UDCA could reduce ethanol-induced liver damage in rats and improve liver's serum and blood parameters. However, the coadministration of CUR and UDCA has a greater efficacy.

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound Elastography and Serologic Fibrosis Indices for Evaluation of Hepatic Involvement in Wilson Disease

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the diagnostic value of transient elastography (TE), 2-dimensional (2D) shear wave elastography (SWE), and the serologic fibrosis indices aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score for Wilson disease (WD).

METHODS

We retrospectively identified patients with a diagnosis of WD who underwent TE and 2D SWE on the same day. Their APRI and FIB-4 scores were calculated. Hepatic involvement was classified into 5 clinical categories (I-V) based on the laboratory findings, hepatic morphologic characteristics on ultrasound (US) imaging, and clinical symptoms of cirrhosis: I, normal (n = 17); II, only biochemical abnormality (n = 15); III, altered hepatic morphologic characteristics (n = 10); IV, compensated liver cirrhosis (n = 3); and V, decompensated liver cirrhosis (n = 0). We compared the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) data for TE, 2D SWE, the APRI, and the FIB-4 score. A combined assessment of the serologic markers and US elastography was performed, and the AUROCs of the combinations were compared.

RESULTS

Forty-five patients were included in the study (median age, 16.0 years; range, 3-35 years). Transient elastography, 2D SWE, and APRI were comparable in distinguishing the clinical categories (AUROC, 0.799-0.928). The FIB-4 score showed lower diagnostic value in distinguishing clinical category I from the other categories (AUROC, 0.647). Combining the serologic markers and US elastography significantly increased the AUROC value of the FIB-4 score (with TE and 2D SWE, P = .01 and .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Transient elastography and 2D SWE showed excellent diagnostic accuracy for differentiating the clinical categories of hepatic involvement. The APRI showed better diagnostic performance than the FIB-4 score. The assessment of hepatic manifestations in WD can be improved by combining US elastography with serologic indices.

Indian National Association for the Study of Liver Consensus Statement on Acute Liver Failure (Part-2): Management of Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is not an uncommon complication of a common disease such as acute hepatitis. Viral hepatitis followed by antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity are the commonest causes of ALF in India. Clinically, such patients present with appearance of jaundice, encephalopathy, and coagulopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and cerebral edema are central and most important clinical event in the course of ALF, followed by superadded infections, and determine the outcome in these patients. The pathogenesis of encephalopathy and cerebral edema in ALF is unique and multifactorial. Ammonia plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis, and several therapies aim to correct this abnormality. The role of newer ammonia-lowering agents is still evolving. These patients are best managed at a tertiary care hospital with facility for liver transplantation (LT). Aggressive intensive medical management has been documented to salvage a substantial proportion of patients. In those with poor prognostic factors, LT is the only effective therapy that has been shown to improve survival. However, recognizing suitable patients with poor prognosis has remained a challenge. Close monitoring, early identification and treatment of complications, and couseling for transplant form the first-line approach to manage such patients. Recent research shows that use of dynamic prognostic models is better for selecting patients undergoing liver transplantation and timely transplant can save life of patients with ALF with poor prognostic factors.

Wilson disease in Costa Rica: Pediatric phenotype and genotype characterization

Introduction

The prevalence of Wilson disease (WD) in Costa Rica is among the highest reported in the world, 4.9:100 000. Previous investigators have also described a burden of autosomal recessive conditions in this country. Genetic testing for WD began in 2010 as a strategy for earlier detection due to the country's high prevalence. Here we describe what we have learned about the genotype and phenotype of the Costa Rican pediatric population with WD.

Methods

We completed a retrospective review of medical records from pediatric individuals (<18 years of age) with molecular testing for ATP7B between 2010 and 2015. We documented phenotype and genotype for cases with WD as defined by the international scoring system.

Results

Thirty-four WD cases from 28 families were included, 15 female and 19 male patients. The most frequent pathogenic variant in ATP7B was NM_000053:c.3809A>G, p.Asn1270Ser, with 58.8% of affected individuals homozygous for this variant. Age of diagnosis ranged from 1 to 17 years, with an average of 8.8 ± 3.6 years. All individuals who presented with acute liver failure (n = 6) were homozygous for the p.Asn1270Ser variant (Chi-squared, P < .05).

Discussion

Molecular testing has facilitated the detection of presymptomatic patients with WD in Costa Rica. We hope that ongoing efforts in the delivery of clinical services lead to optimized molecular screening for WD and other genetic conditions in Costa Rica.