As an indispensable trace element in the human body,copper plays an important role in various physiological and biochemical reactions.The dyshomeostasis of copper leads to the disorder of copper metabolism and the occurrence of related diseases.Cuproptosis,a newly proposed regulatory cell death mode,is different from the known apoptosis,pyroptosis,necroptosis,and ferroptosis.Recent studies have found that the dyshomeostasis of copper has been observed in a variety of cancers.Therefore,targeting copper for disease treatment may become a new strategy and a new idea.This article systematically summarizes the fundamental properties of copper,copper dyshomeostasis-related diseases (Menkes syndrome,Wilson's disease,and cancer) and their treatment,and reviews the research progress in cuproptosis.
Humans ; Copper/metabolism* ; Homeostasis ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration/metabolism* ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and variants of ATP7A gene in a child with Menkes disease. METHODS: A child with Menkes disease diagnosed at the West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University and its family members in March 2022 was selected as the study subjects. Clinical manifestations and results of laboratory tests and genetic testing were summarized. RESULTS: The main manifestations of the child included seizures, global development delay, facial dysmorphism, sparse and curly hair, increased lactate and pyruvate, and significantly decreased cuprin. EEG showed frequent issuance of multifocal spikes, spines, polyspines (slow) and polymorphic slow waves. Multiple tortuous vascular shadows were observed on cranial MRI. Whole exome sequencing revealed that the child has harbored a hemizygous c.3076delA (p.ile1026*) variant of the ATP7A gene, which was inherited from his mother. The variant may lead to premature termination of protein translation. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was predicted as pathogenic (PVS1+PM2+PP4). CONCLUSION The c.3076delA (p.Ile1026*) variant of the ATP7A gene probably underlay the Menkes disease in this child. Above finding has provided evidence for clinical diagnosis. The significantly increased lactic acid and pyruvate can be used as a reference for the diagnosis and management of Menkes disease. Microscopic abnormalities in the hair of the carriers may also facilitate their diagnosis.
Child ; Humans ; Copper-Transporting ATPases/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Peptide Fragments ; Pyruvic Acid

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic etiology of three children with Menkes disease. METHODS: Three children who had presented at the Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from January 2020 to July 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data of the children were reviewed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the children, their parents and sister of child 1. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing, copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq), and bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: Child 1 was a 1-year-and-4-month male, and children 2 and 3 were monozygotic twin males aged 1-year-and-10-month. The clinical manifestations of the three children have included developmental delay and seizures. WES showed that child 1 has harbored a c.3294+1G>A variant of the ATP7A gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed that his parents and sister did not carry the same variant, suggesting that it was de novo. Children 2 and 3 had carried a c.77266650_77267178del copy number variation. CNV-seq results showed that their mother has carried the same variant. By searching the HGMD, OMIM and ClinVar databases, the c.3294+1G>A was known to be pathogenic. No carrier frequency has been recorded in the 1000 Genomes, ESP, ExAC and gnomAD databases. Based on the Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants: A Joint Consensus Recommendation of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the ATP7A gene c.3294+1G>A variant was predicted to be pathogenic. The c.77266650_77267178del variant has involved exons 8 to 9 of the ATP7A gene. ClinGen online system score for it was 1.8, which was also considered to be pathogenic. CONCLUSION The c.3294+1G>A and c.77266650_ 77267178del variants of the ATP7A gene probably underlay the Menkes disease in the three children. Above finding has enriched the mutational spectrum of Menkes disease and provided a basis for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Humans ; Male ; Computational Biology ; Copper-Transporting ATPases/genetics* ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Exons ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Peptide Fragments ; Seizures ; Infant

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for three children with Menkes disease. METHODS: The patients were subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect potential variants of the ATP7A gene. Suspected variants were verified by Sanger sequencing of their family members and 200 healthy individuals. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was also carried out to detect potential deletions in their family members and 20 healthy individuals. RESULTS: Variants of the ATP7A gene were detected in all of the three families, including a novel c.1465A>T nonsense variant in family 1, a novel c.3039_3043del frame-shifting variant in family 2, and deletion of exons 3 to 23 in family 3, which was reported previously. Based on the standards and guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c.1465A>T and c.3039_3043del variants of ATP7A gene were predicted to be likely pathogenic (PVS1+PM2). CONCLUSION Variants of the ATP7A gene may underlay the Menkes disease in the three children. Above findings have facilitated clinical diagnosis and enriched the spectrum of genetic variants of Menkes disease.
Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Copper-Transporting ATPases/genetics* ; Exons ; Family Health ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree

OBJECTIVE: To carry out genetic testing for a male infant suspected for Menkes disease. METHODS: Genomic DNA of the proband and his parents were extracted and subjected to family trio whole exome sequencing (WES). Microduplication and microdeletion of the ATP7A gene were detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Suspected variants were subjected to bioinformatic analysis and verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband was found to harbor a de novo c.1870 -13T>G variation of the ATP7A gene, which may alter a splice site and affect its protein product. CONCLUSION The patient was diagnosed with Menkes disease due to the c.1870 -13T>G variant of the ATP7A gene. Whole exome sequencing of family trios is a powerful tool for the diagnosis of diseases with strong phenotypic heterogeneity.
Copper-Transporting ATPases ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome ; genetics ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mutation ; Whole Exome Sequencing

BACKGROUND: Menkes disease (MD) is a rare X-linked hereditary multisystemic disorder that is caused by dysfunction of copper metabolism. Patients with MD typically present with progressive neurodegeneration, some connective tissue abnormalities, and characteristic “kinky” hair. In addition, various types of urological complications are frequent in MD because of underlying connective tissue abnormalities. In this study, we studied the clinical features and outcomes of MD, focusing on urological complications. METHODS: A total of 14 unrelated Korean pediatric patients (13 boys and 1 girl) with MD were recruited, and their phenotypes and genotypes were analyzed by retrospective review of their medical records. RESULTS: All the patients had early-onset neurological deficit, including developmental delay, seizures, and hypotonia. The girl patient showed normal serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels as well as milder symptoms. Mutational analysis of the ATP7A gene revealed 11 different mutations in 12 patients. Bladder diverticula was the most frequent urological complication: 8 (57.1%) in the 14 patients or 8 (72.7%) in the 11 patients who underwent urological evaluation. Urological imaging studies were performed essentially for the evaluation of accompanying urinary tract infections. Four patients had stage II chronic kidney disease at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Urologic problems occurred frequently in MD, with bladder diverticula being the most common. Therefore, urological imaging studies and appropriate management of urological complications, which may prevent or reduce the development of urinary tract infections and renal parenchymal damage, are required in all patients with MD.
Ceruloplasmin ; Connective Tissue ; Copper ; Diverticulum ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hair ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome* ; Metabolism ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Phenotype ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract Infections

Menkes disease (also known as kinky hair disease) is an X-linked recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by diverse mutations in a copper-transport gene, ATP7A. Affected patients are characterized by kinky hair, hypotonia, and generalized myoclonic seizures. Here, we report a case of Menkes disease in which the patient presented with progressive hypotonia and intractable seizures. A 4-month-old male infant visited our pediatric clinic for focal seizures with blinking eyes. He was generally hypotonic and suffered from malnutrition. The focal seizures became more frequent, and the patient became intractable to anti-seizure medications. An electroencephalogram (EEG) indicated diffuse cerebral dysfunction with focal seizure, and a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed tortuous and ectatic intracranial arteries, as well as several ischemic lesions. A genetic analysis was performed, and a c.2473_2474del (p.Leu825fsX1) of the ATP7A gene was detected.
Arteries ; Blinking ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Hair ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Malnutrition ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome* ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Seizures

OBJECTIVETo delineate the clinical features and potential mutation of the ATP7A gene in a family affected with Menkes disease.

METHODSClinical data of a patient and his family members were analyzed. Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assays were performed to detect the mutation of the ATP7A gene.

RESULTSThe patient was admitted at the age of 5 months due to severe epilepsy and marked delayed psychomotor development. Significantly light complexion, pudgy cheeks and sparse fuzzy wooly hair were noted. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging and angiography revealed cortical atrophy, leukoencephalopathy and circuitous of intracranial vessels. The plasma ceruloplasmin was decreased. MLPA has identified a deletion spanning exons 8 to 12 of the ATP7A gene. His mother was found to be a heterozygous carrier of the same mutation.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical features and a novel mutation of the ATP7A gene of the family have been delineated.

Adenosine Triphosphatases ; genetics ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Cation Transport Proteins ; genetics ; China ; Copper-transporting ATPases ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; Female ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pedigree

Menkes disease is a rare, neurodegenerative, copper metabolism disorder characterized by mutations in ATP7A gene. Clinical symptoms include epilepsy, growth delay, reduced muscle strength, skin hyperextension, hair deformation and urologic abnormalities. However, since these clinical symptoms occur 2–3 months after birth, early diagnosis of Menkes disease is very difficult for clinicians. We report here the case of a patient who initially presented urinary tract infection followed by neurologic symptoms of Menkes disease; he was accurately diagnosed via ATP7A genetic analysis and found to harbor a novel mutation. Although neurological symptoms are the primary diagnostic feature of Menkes disease, clinicians should take into account urinary abnormalities as well, which may be an important clue to the early diagnosis of these patients.
Copper ; Early Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Hair ; Humans ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome* ; Metabolism ; Muscle Strength ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parturition ; Skin ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux*

Menkes disease is caused by mutations in the ATP7A gene that lead to intracellular copper transport defects and characterized by brownish twisted (kinky) hair accompanied by growth retardation and intellectual disability. Reduced nitric oxide (NO) production contributes to infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) because NO plays an important role in smooth muscle relaxation. Here we describe a case of Menkes disease and IHPS in a 72-day-old male patient with severe persistent vomiting and convulsions with a novel ATP7A mutation.
Copper ; Hair ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Male ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Pyloric Stenosis ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic* ; Relaxation ; Seizures ; Vomiting