Copper: Uses, Effects, Side Effects, Dosage, Interactions, Risks

Copper (cuprum; Cu) is an element from the group of heavy or semi-precious metals. Copper is absorbed in the small intestine and stored in the liver; most of it (90-95%) leaves the liver as coeruloplasmin, the rest is bound to albumin and amino acids. Copper plays an important role in many metabolic processes: copper is an integral component of a number of metalloproteins and is essential for their enzyme function. Copper is found primarily in liver, fish, and nuts, as well as in beans.Daily copper intake should be between 2-5 mg. If there is an excess of copper, intoxication (poisoning) can occur. Copper intoxication may cause the following symptoms:

Copper deficiency is rarely observed, but then especially in premature infants and babies. Copper deficiency can lead to the following symptoms:

  • Anemia (anemia)
  • Connective tissue changes, unspecified
  • Bone changes, unspecified
  • Neurological disorders, unspecified
  • Neutropenia – decrease in a subtype of granulocytes (immune defense cells).

The procedure

Material needed

  • Blood serum
  • 24 h urine

Preparation of the patient

  • Not necessary

Disruptive factors

  • Not known

Normal values – blood

Age Normal value in μg/dl Normal value in μmol/l
Preterm infants 17-44 2,7-7,7
Until 4 months of age (LM) 9-46 1,4-7,2
4TH-6TH LM 25-110 3,9-17,3
7-12 LM 50-130 7,9-20,5
1-5 years of age (LY) 80-150 12,6-23,6
6.-9- LJ 84-136 13,2-21,4
10-13 LY 80-121 12,6-19,0
14-19 LY 64-117 10,1-18,4
Women 74-122 11,6-19,2
Men 79-131 12,4-20,6

Normal values – urine

Normal value in μg/24 h 10-60
Normal value in μmol/24 h 0,16-0,94

Indications

  • Suspected copper poisoning
  • Suspicion of copper deficiency (e.g., parenteral nutrition).
  • Suspicion of Wilson’s disease
  • Suspicion of Menkes syndrome

Interpretation

Interpretation of lowered values

  • Alimentary (nutritional)
    • Premature infants and babies
  • Menkes syndrome – rare inborn error of metabolism (X-linked inheritance) based on copper metabolism disorder (impaired copper absorption by the mucosa cells of the small intestine).
  • Wilson’s disease (copper storage disease) – genetic disease leading to copper storage disease (increasing accumulation of copper primarily in the liver, later also in the brain and kidney).
  • Nephrotic syndrome – collective term for symptoms that occur in various diseases of the glomerulus (renal corpuscles); symptoms include: Proteinuria (excretion of protein in the urine) with a protein loss of more than 1 g/m²/body surface per day; hypoproteinemia, peripheral edema due to hypalbuminemia of < 2.5 g/dl in serum, hyperlipoproteinemia (lipid metabolism disorder).

Interpretation of elevated values

Urine

  • Wilson’s disease (copper storage disease) – genetic disease that leads to copper accumulation in tissues.

Serum

Further notes

  • The normal requirement for copper in women as well as men is 1.0-1.5 mg/d.