Plasma copper is measured to screen for Wilson’s disease and for nutritional assessment.
Tube
Trace Metals
ID
29935
Availability
Weekdays. Contact laboratory if urgent analysis is required.
Additional Information
Risk factors for nutritional copper deficiency include intestinal failure, malabsorption particularly in the upper GI tract including after bariatric surgery, and excessive zinc supplementation/ingestion. Diagnosis of Wilson’s disease can be complex. A plasma copper within or above the reference range cannot exclude Wilson’s. A full assessment should be made including 24 hour urine copper, serum caeruloplasmin, examination for Kayser-Fleischer rings and (where indicated) tissue copper estimation in a liver biopsy specimen. Individuals who are heterozygous for Wilson’s disease or acaeruloplasminaemia are generally asymptomatic and may have a plasma copper concentration below the lower limit of the reference interval.
Turn Around
7 days.
Send to
Specialist Laboratory Medicine,
Block 46,
St James’s University Hospital,
Beckett Street,
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Contact
For further details please contact Leeds Pathology customer services: [email protected].
Collection Con
For paediatric samples 0.5mL heparinised blood would be suitable.
Sample REQ
Centrifuge and separate by hand to avoid sample contamination. Store at 4C prior to sending.
Units
umol/L