| Objective To examine the effects of combined copper displacement therapy on liver shear wave elastography, liver fibrosis and liver function in patients diagnosed with Wilson’s disease (WD). Methods The clinical data of 87 inpatient WD patients admitted the Affiliated Hospital of the Institute of Neurology, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine during January 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into groups according to their different treatment regimens. Those undergoing Western medicines, such as metal complex agents, combined with traditional Chinese medicine Gantou tablet for copper removal, comprised the combined treatment group (n=45). Conversely, patients treated with Western medicine, such as metal complex agents, constituted the Western medicine treatment group (n=42). The clinical signs of the two groups were observed, including the point-shear wave elastography(pSWE), liver fibrosis indexes such as laminin (LN), procollagen-ⅢN-terminal peptidase(P-ⅢNP) and collagen Ⅳ (C-Ⅳ), total bile acid (TBA), albumin (ALB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin (TBIL) ，were recorded in the two groups before and after treatment and other liver function indicators.Results There were no significant differences in the values of liver shear wave elastography, liver fibrosis and liver function between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After copper displacement treatment, the measured value of shear wave elastic imaging, type Ⅳ collagen and total bile acid and the difference between the two groups were compared before and after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). There was a positive correlation between liver shear wave elastography and type Ⅳ collagen and total bile acid in WD patients (P<0.05). Conclusion Copper displacement therapy can improve the liver damage of WD patients, and the combined treatment group demonstrates superior outcomes compared to the Western medicine treatment group, which is more conducive to the rehabilitation of patients and the enhancement of their quality of life. |
