The hypothesis is advanced that ceruloplasmin functions in enzymatic transfer of copper to copper-containing enzymes, such as cytochrome oxidase. To test this hypothesis, leucocytes from Wilson's disease patients, heterozygous carriers, and normal subjects were assayed for cytochrome-oxidase activity. The data reported here show markedly reduced levels of activity in Wilson's disease cases and moderate reductions in heterozygous individuals relative to normal controls. These observations and a close correlation between the level of cytochrome-oxidase activity in the leucocytes and ceruloplasmin in the serum tend to support the hypothesis.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Leigh's disease with clinical manifestations of Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Leigh's disease was found postmortem in a 5-year-old girl who was diagnosed clinically as Cornelia de Lange syndrome at age 1 year. The child's neurological status began to deteriorate rapidly at age 4.5 years and she died suddenly 6 months later. Postmortem examination of the brain revealed bilateral necrosis of the hypothalamus, subthalamic nuclei, midbrain, pons, and medulla. Previous studies have linked Cornelia de Lange syndrome to hypothalamic lesions. This case demonstrates that Leigh's disease, which also damages the hypothalamus, could present with phenotypic features of Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Brain↗