title: Serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels and urinary copper excretion in thermal injury.
abstract: Conflicting reports regarding copper status in thermal injury patients have been published. We determined serial serum-copper and serum-ceruloplasmin levels and 24-h urinary excretion of copper in 23 patients with second- and third-degree thermal burns. Throughout hospitalization, mean serum-copper concentration was significantly depressed; lowest levels were found in patients with greater than 40% total body surface area burns. Serum ceruloplasmin was also depressed, an unexpected finding because this protein is a positive acute-phase reactant poststress. Mean urinary excretion of copper was elevated, reaching 2.5 times the upper limit of normal 2 wk postburn. Depressed serum-copper levels paralleled the serum-ceruloplasmin levels rather than the increased urinary-copper losses. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism(s) of this altered copper metabolism and whether physiological or biochemical evidence of copper deficiency accompanies the observed hypocupremia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin