This is a prospective study that will determine the optimal timing for 24-hour urinary copper excretion (UCE) measurement after temporary discontinuation of standard therapies in Wilson Disease (WD) patients. The primary objective is to assess whether off-treatment UCE (OT-UCE) correlates with non-ceruloplasmin-bound copper (NCC) levels, aiming to validate OT-UCE as a surrogate marker for systemic copper bioavailability and disease stability. Stable WD patients will be enrolled, temporarily taken off treatment under close monitoring, and undergo UCE and NCC testing. If OT-UCE is validated, it could serve as a practical biomarker for monitoring WD treatment and stability in clinical practice and future trials.
Study procedures will include providing multiple urine samples over a 24-hour period, storing the urine samples, and returning them during the end-of-study visit. Blood samples will be collected to measure copper levels and liver function. An in-person end-of-study visit will be attended. Participation in this study will involve a brief stoppage of current Wilson Disease treatment. Participants will perform 24-hour urine collections and communicate with study personnel daily during the brief time medication is not taken. At the end-of-study visit, the investigators will collect urine samples, obtain blood samples, perform a physical exam, and review safety evaluations (communication with study personnel) made during the study.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
30
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
RECRUITINGMean concentration of OT-UCE for each standard of care WD treatment
Urine samples will be collected daily for 4 days after stopping WD medications. The sequential evaluation of OT-UCE over a maximum of 4 days after treatment withdrawal will allow investigators to define the optimal ranges for UCE and select the best time-point for OT-UCE evaluations for WD patients on the 3 different therapies.
Time frame: days 1, 2, 3 and 4 post stopping WD meds
Mean NCC concentration for each WD treatment
Measure NCC and assess the correlation between NCC and OT-UCE Urine samples will be collected daily for 4 days after stopping WD medications. The sequential evaluation of NCC over a maximum of 4 days after treatment withdrawal will allow investigators to assess the correlation between NCC and OT-UCE.
Time frame: days 1, 2, 3 and 4 post stopping WD meds
Mean OT-UCE Ranges for each WD med
Urine samples will be collected daily for 4 days after stopping WD medications. The sequential evaluation of OT-UCE over a maximum of 4 days after treatment withdrawal will allow investigators to define the optimal ranges for UCE for WD patients on the 3 different therapies.
Time frame: days 1, 2, 3 and 4 post stopping WD meds
Assess the best timepoints for performance of OT-UCE for each drug
The day (or the minimal number of consecutive days) after treatment interruption at which 24-hour OT-UCE stabilizes (defined as a plateau with less than 10% variability between two consecutive measurements) for each drug (zinc, penicillamine, trientine). This will define the optimal timing of OT-UCE monitoring for each treatment.
Time frame: days 1, 2, 3 and 4 post stopping WD meds
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