copper
and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctorDr. med. Andrea Reiter is a freelance writer for the medical editorial team.
More about the expertsEva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.Copper is a vital trace element. Sufficient quantities of it must be taken in with food so that there is no copper deficiency. Conversely, it is also important to avoid excess copper because it can damage the organs. Read here when the doctor determines the copper level in the blood and what it can mean if there is too little or too much copper in the body!
What is copper
Copper is a trace element that is important for cell metabolism. It also helps the body absorb iron from the gastrointestinal tract.
Copper is absorbed from the small intestine through food. Relevant amounts of copper can be found in nuts, meat, beans and cereal products, for example. Humans ingest around four milligrams of the trace element through their diet each day. The body's copper content is between 50 and 150 milligrams.
In the blood, copper binds to the transport protein albumin, which it brings to the liver. There the trace element can be bound to the so-called ceruloplasmin and brought to places of need. Excess copper is mainly excreted with the bile and thus via the intestine, and to a lesser extent via the kidneys with the urine and partly with breast milk.
When do you determine the copper values?
The doctor measures the concentration of copper in the blood if there is a suspicion of a copper deficiency (as in Menkes syndrome) or an excess of copper (Wilson's disease). Even with artificial nutrition, the copper content in the blood must be analyzed regularly, as a copper deficiency often occurs in such cases.
Copper - normal values
The copper level can be measured in the blood serum. The information is given in the unit micrograms per deciliter (µg / 24h) or micromoles per liter (µmol / l). The following standard values apply:
|
Gender or age |
Standard value | |
|
Premature babies |
17 - 44 µg / dl |
2.7 - 7.7 µmol / l |
|
0 to 4 months |
9 - 46 µg / dl |
1.4 - 7.2 µmol / l |
|
4 to 6 months |
25 - 110 µg / dl |
3.9 - 17.3 µmol / l |
|
7 to 12 months |
50 - 130 µg / dl |
7.9-20.5 µmol / l |
|
1 to 5 years |
80 - 150 µg / dl |
12.6-23.6 µmol / l |
|
6 to 9 years
|
84-136 µg / dl |
13.2-21.4 µmol / L |
|
10 to 13 years |
80 - 121 µg / dl |
12.6-19.0 µmol / l |
|
14 to 19 years |
64 - 117 µg / dl |
10.1-18.4 µmol / L |
|
women |
74 - 122 µg / dl |
11.6-19.2 µmol / L |
|
men |
79 - 131 µg / dl |
12.4-20.6 µmol / l |
Sometimes the copper content in the urine is also determined. You do not take a simple urine sample, but collect the urine from 24 hours. The copper concentration in this 24-hour urine is then measured in the laboratory. It is usually 10 - 60 µg / 24h or 0.16 - 0.94 µmol / 24h.
When are the copper values lowered?
A copper deficiency in the blood occurs in the following cases:
- Wilson's disease (copper storage disease)
- Menkes syndrome (congenital disorder of the uptake of copper in the intestine)
- nephrotic syndrome (combination of various symptoms based on kidney damage)
- Malnutrition, such as artificial nutrition (especially in newborns and infants)
Diarrhea and stomach cramps often accompany a copper deficiency. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia often occur in addition, because the iron deficit in the intestine is impaired by the copper deficit.
When are the copper levels increased?
Too much copper is found in the blood in the following cases:
- acute inflammation
- Liver disease
- acute blood cancer (acute leukemia)
- certain types of anemia (aplastic anemia)
- Thyrotoxicosis (acute, life-threatening metabolic imbalance, especially in people with hyperthyroidism)
If the concentration of copper in the body is greatly increased, it is also referred to as "copper poisoning".
During estrogen therapy and when taking the contraceptive pill, the copper content in the blood can also increase without it being a disease. A two to three-fold increase in blood copper levels in the last trimester of pregnancy is also normal.
Too much copper in the urine indicates copper storage disease Wilson's disease.
What to do if the copper content is increased or decreased?
If the copper level in the blood or urine is too high or too low, the doctor will try to determine the cause. Further laboratory tests and examinations may be necessary for this, for example the determination of ceruloplasmin. If the cause is found, suitable therapy is initiated if possible. Then the copper level can return to normal.
