Objective: Wilson's disease (WD) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by abnormalities of the copper-transporting protein encoding gene ATP7B. In this study, we examined ATP7B for mutations in a group of patients living in southern Brazil.
Methods: 36 WD subjects were studied and classified according to their clinical and epidemiological data. In 23 subjects the ATP7B gene was analyzed.
Results: Fourteen distinct mutations were detected in at least one of the alleles. The c.3207C>A substitution at exon 14 was the most common mutation (allelic frequency=37.1%) followed by the c.3402delC at exon 15 (allelic frequency=11.4%). The mutations c.2018-2030del13 at exon 7 and c.4093InsT at exon 20 are being reported for the first time.
Conclusion: The c.3207C>A substitution at exon 14, was the most common mutation, with an allelic frequency of 37.1%. This mutation is the most common mutation described in Europe.