Serum copper in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis

ABSTRACT

The body contains about 100 mg copper widely distributed in various organs with the highest concentration in the liver, brain and kidney. More than 95% of serum copper is bound to protein ceruloplasmin and the rest is bound to plasma albumin. In the liver, copper absorption and excretion, synthesis, and release of ceruloplasmin take place. It was found in this work that the peripheral serum copper concentration in schistosomal cases were significantly higher than that of controls