Copper in the urine
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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Reference values (rate) of copper release in urine: men - 2-80 mkg / day (0,03-1,26 mkm / day); women - 3-35 μg / day (0.047-0.55 μmol / day).
The maximum amount of copper (65-90%) that enters the body with food is excreted with bile in the lumen of the intestine, 3-10% is excreted by the kidneys and a small part is removed from the cells of the intestinal mucosa.
The analysis for copper in urine is used mainly to diagnose and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment of Wilson-Konovalov's disease. Excretion of copper in urine with Wilson-Konovalov disease is usually higher than 100 μg / day (1.57 μmol / day), but may be lower in young siblings before the development of symptoms of the disease. Effective treatment is accompanied by a decrease in the release of copper in the urine.
Increased urinary copper excretion can be detected in chronic active hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, nephrotic syndrome (loss of copper and ceruloplasmin, treatment with chelating agents).
Reduction of copper content in urine is detected in patients with protein deficiency.
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