Table 2.
Basal clinical and laboratory features of patients initially treated with D-penicillamine or zinc
| D-Penicillamine | Zinc | P values | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients (N) |
27 (21 males) |
15 (9 males) |
|
| Median age at diagnosis (months) |
75 (range 39–192) |
42 (range 12–101) |
<0.001* |
| Median ALT at diagnosis (UI/L) |
251 (range 23–582) |
110 (range 12–502) |
0.022* |
| Median AST at diagnosis (UI/L) |
114 (range 27–205) |
67 (range 22–168) |
0.059 (NS) |
| Median GGT at diagnosis (UI/L) |
72 (range 11–267) |
21 (range 13–119) |
0.019* |
| Basal urinary copper (μg/24 h) |
150 (range 14–413) |
31 (range 4–780) |
0.91 (NS) |
| Median liver copper content (μg/g dry tissue) | 780 (range 60–1660) | 989 (range 407–1230) | 0.423 (NS) |
*P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant; NS: not significant.