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Thiomolybdates in the Treatment of Wilson's Disease

J. M. Walshe, ScD
Arch Neurol. 1992;49(2):132-132. doi:10.1001/archneur.1992.00530260032012
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To the Editor.  —Brewer and his colleagues1 report on the use of tetrathiomolybdate as an anticopper agent in the treatment of Wilson's disease, employing this compound as an initial therapy in an attempt to avoid the increase in symptoms sometimes seen after the use of chelating agents. While they refer to the important work of Mills and his associates at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, where much work has been done on experimental animals, they seem unaware that the ability of thiomolybdates to induce copper deficiency in ruminants has been known since the 1940s as was described by Dick2 in 1953. An attempt to use molybdate as an anticopper treatment for Wilson's disease was made in the 1950s3 without success. The reason for the failure of this study was that the thiosalt was not used and the molybdate and sulfate given to the patients was

REFERENCES

Brewer GJ, Dick RD, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Tankanow R, Young AB, Kluin KJ.  Initial therapy of patients with Wilson's disease with tetrathiomolybdate . Arch Neurol . 1991;;48:42-47.
Dick AT.  The effect of inorganic sulphate on the excretion of molybdenum in sheep . Aust Vet J . 1953;;29:18-26.
Bickel H, Neale FC, Hall G.  A clinical and biochemical study of hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease) . Q J Med . 1957;;26:527-558.
Walshe JM.  Copper: its role in the pathogenesis of liver disease . Semin Liver Dis . 1984;;4:252-263.
Walshe JM.  Tetrathiomolybdate (MoS4) as an 'anti-copper' agent in man . In: Scheinberg IH, Walshe JM, eds. Orphan Diseases, Orphan Drugs . Manchester, England: Manchester University Press; 1986;:76-85.
Fell BF, Dinsdale D, El-Gallad TT.  Gut pathology of rats doses with tetrathiomolybdate . J Comp Pathol . 1979;;89:495-514.
Spence JA, Suttle NF, Wenham G, El-Gallad T, Bremner I.  A sequential study of the skeletal abnormalities which develop in rats given a small dietary supplement of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate . J Comp Pathol . 1980;;90;139-153.
Mason J.  The putative role of thiomolybdates in the pathogenesis of Mo-induced hypocupraemia and molybdenosis: some recent developments . Irish Vet J . 1982;;36:164-168.
Harper PL, Walshe JM.  Reversible pancytopoenia secondary to treatment with tetrathiomolybdate . Br J Haematol . 1986;;64:851-853.

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Brewer GJ, Dick RD, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Tankanow R, Young AB, Kluin KJ.  Initial therapy of patients with Wilson's disease with tetrathiomolybdate . Arch Neurol . 1991;;48:42-47.
Dick AT.  The effect of inorganic sulphate on the excretion of molybdenum in sheep . Aust Vet J . 1953;;29:18-26.
Bickel H, Neale FC, Hall G.  A clinical and biochemical study of hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease) . Q J Med . 1957;;26:527-558.
Walshe JM.  Copper: its role in the pathogenesis of liver disease . Semin Liver Dis . 1984;;4:252-263.
Walshe JM.  Tetrathiomolybdate (MoS4) as an 'anti-copper' agent in man . In: Scheinberg IH, Walshe JM, eds. Orphan Diseases, Orphan Drugs . Manchester, England: Manchester University Press; 1986;:76-85.
Fell BF, Dinsdale D, El-Gallad TT.  Gut pathology of rats doses with tetrathiomolybdate . J Comp Pathol . 1979;;89:495-514.
Spence JA, Suttle NF, Wenham G, El-Gallad T, Bremner I.  A sequential study of the skeletal abnormalities which develop in rats given a small dietary supplement of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate . J Comp Pathol . 1980;;90;139-153.
Mason J.  The putative role of thiomolybdates in the pathogenesis of Mo-induced hypocupraemia and molybdenosis: some recent developments . Irish Vet J . 1982;;36:164-168.
Harper PL, Walshe JM.  Reversible pancytopoenia secondary to treatment with tetrathiomolybdate . Br J Haematol . 1986;;64:851-853.

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