Analysis index

1 ml serum

Men: 560 – 1110 µg/l

Women: 680 – 2000 µg/l

Children: As per findings report

Suspicion of intoxication, especially in small children living in homes with water wells and drinking water from copper pipes.

Symptoms: Icterus prolongatus, colic.

Suspicion of deficiencies, especially in small children with an unbalanced diet as well as in elderly people, nephrotic syndrome and exudative gastro enteropathy.

Symptoms: Hypochromic anemia, neutropenia, hypotension.

Suspicion of M. Wilson, Menkes disease.

Following iron and zinc, copper is the third most common trace element in the body and works as an inorganic co-factor for numerous enzymes. Decreased copper concentrations in serum have a high diagnostic meaning for M. Wilson and Menkes disease (together with coeruloplasmin and copper in urine). Rarely, there may be a decrease due to nutritive deficiencies, accompanied by hypochromic anemia as well as vascular damage and osteoporosis as a result of impaired elastin and collagen synthesis. A physiologically increased copper value in serum is found in the last trimester of pregnancy and when taking estrogens and oral contraceptives. Serum copper is also usually increased in case of acute and chronic infections, various tumors (such as bronchial carcinoma, mamma carcinoma and prostate carcinoma), especially also in case of liver damages with disrupted bile flow and exocrine pancreas insufficiency. These increases of serum copper are non-specific and have no differential diagnostic significance.

Please also refer to section “Wilson M.” (Indications directory)