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Copper in the urine
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Reference values (norm) for copper excretion in urine: men - 2-80 mcg/day (0.03-1.26 μmol/day); women - 3-35 mcg/day (0.047-0.55 μmol/day).
The maximum amount of copper (65-90%) ingested with food is excreted with bile into the intestinal lumen, 3-10% is excreted by the kidneys and a small portion is removed with the cells of the intestinal mucosa.
Urine copper testing is used primarily to diagnose and evaluate treatment for Wilson-Konovalov disease. Urinary copper excretion in Wilson-Konovalov disease is usually greater than 100 μg/day (1.57 μmol/day), but may be lower in young siblings before symptoms develop. Effective treatment results in decreased urinary copper excretion.
Increased excretion of copper in urine can be detected in chronic active hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, nephrotic syndrome (loss of copper and ceruloplasmin, treatment with chelating drugs).
A decrease in copper content in urine is detected in patients with protein malnutrition.
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