Abstract
Concentrations of zinc, copper and manganese were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry in samples of globus pallidus obtained at autopsy from 9 patients with chronic liver disease and an equal number of age-matched controls. Manganese concentrations were significantly increased several fold (p<0.01) in globus pallidus of liver disease patients accompanied by smaller but significant 2-fold increases of copper. Zinc concentrations, on the other hand, were within normal limits. Increased pallidal manganese offers a cogent explanation for the observed T1-weighted MRI signal hyperintensity in pallidum of cirrhotic patients. Increased copper content in brain suggests the existence of common pathophysiologic mechanisms in inherited (Wilson Disease) and acquired hepatocerebral disorders.
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Layrargues, G.P., Shapcott, D., Spahr, L. et al. Accumulation of manganese and copper in pallidum of cirrhotic patients: role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy?. Metab Brain Dis 10, 353–356 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02109365
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02109365