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Copper in the blood
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
Copper is one of the most important essential microelements necessary for human life. The body of an adult contains 1.57-3.14 mmol of copper, with half of this amount being in the muscles and bones, and 10% in the liver tissue. The daily human requirement for copper is 1-2 mg. The liver plays a key role in copper metabolism.
Reference values (norm) of copper concentration in blood serum
Age |
Serum copper concentration |
|
Mg/dl |
µmol/l |
|
Children: |
20-70 |
3.14-10.99 |
Up to 6 months |
||
Up to 6 years |
90-190 |
14.3-29.83 |
Up to 12 years |
80-160 |
12.56-25.12 |
Adults: |
||
Men |
70-140 |
10.99-21.98 |
Women |
80-155 |
12.56-24.34 |
At the end of pregnancy |
118-302 |
18.53-47.41 |
Most of the copper entering the body is excreted with feces, excretion with urine is very insignificant. Copper participates in biochemical processes as a component of electron-transfer proteins that carry out reactions of oxidation of substrates by molecular oxygen. A number of enzymes contain up to 4 copper ions or more.
Ceruloplasmin, a multifunctional protein with ferroxidase, amineoxidase, and, partially, superoxide dismutase activity, plays a key role in copper metabolism. Copper in blood serum is present exclusively in the form associated with ceruloplasmin (95%) and albumin (5%).
Copper has a pronounced anti-inflammatory property, softens the manifestation of autoimmune diseases, such as, for example, rheumatoid arthritis. Copper deficiency is reflected in the lipid composition of blood plasma: the content of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids increases due to the inhibition of lipoprotein lipase. In addition, copper is part of apo-B and is necessary for its conversion to a soluble form, copper deficiency causes structural changes in apo-B and thereby complicates its binding to the receptor protein. Excess copper in the body leads to a deficiency of zinc and molybdenum.
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