Cytochrome oxidase deficiency in Wilson's disease: a suggested ceruloplasmin function.

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.