A 37‐year‐old Menkes disease patient—Residual ATP7A activity and early copper administration as key factors in beneficial treatment

• Published in: Clinical genetics 2017-11, Vol.92 (5), p.548-553
• Main Authors: Tümer, Z., Petris, M., Zhu, S., Mercer, J., Bukrinski, J., Bilz, S., Baerlocher, K., Horn, N., Møller, L.B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; ATP7A; Child, Preschool; Copper; Copper - therapeutic use; copper metabolism; copper treatment; Copper-transporting ATPases - metabolism; copperhistidine; Histidine; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Menkes disease; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome - drug therapy; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome - enzymology; Menkes syndrome; Patients; Protein Transport; residual function; Supplements
• ISSN: 0009-9163; 1399-0004
• DOI: 10.1111/cge.13083

Menkes disease (MD) is a lethal disorder characterized by severe neurological symptoms and connective tissue abnormalities; and results from malfunctioning of cuproenzymes, which cannot receive copper due to a defective intracellular copper transporting protein, ATP7A. Early parenteral copper‐histidine supplementation may modify disease progression substantially but beneficial effects of long‐term treatment have been recorded in only a few patients. Here we report on the eldest surviving MD patient (37 years) receiving early‐onset and long‐term copper treatment. He has few neurological symptoms without connective tissue disturbances; and a missense ATP7A variant, p.(Pro852Leu), which results in impaired protein trafficking while the copper transport function is spared. These findings suggest that some cuproenzymes maintain their function when sufficient copper is provided to the cells; and underline the importance of early initiated copper treatment, efficiency of which is likely to be dependent on the mutant ATP7A function.