Low serum alkaline phosphatase activity in Wilson's disease

✍ Scribed by William A. Shaver; Harshika Bhatt; Burton Combes

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 651 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840060509

✦ Synopsis

Early in the hospitalization of two patients with hemolytic anemia and severe hepatic manifestations of Wilson's disease, we observed abnormally low values for serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) activity that subsequently rose into the normal range. Stimulated by this observation, we reviewed other cases of Wilson's disease and found that similar findings had been recorded but not recognized in a high proportion of cases presenting with hemolytic anemia. By contrast, low values for SAP are much less common in patients with more chronic forms of Wilson's disease.

Brief descriptions of our cases, a review of laboratory data presented in other communications and the results of our studies assessing the effect of added copper on SAP form the basis of the present report.

CASE REPORTS

T. B., a previously well 17-year-old white girl, experienced weakness and fatiguability for 6 weeks. An episode of chilliness, myalgia, occasional vomiting and loose stools lasting 1 week ensued 2 weeks later. Subsequently, her urine darkened, and 1 week prior to admission, she became jaundiced. There was no history Patient 1.