Biomaterial Database

Hepatic copper content is normal in early primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. 1994

K V Kowdley, and T A Knox, and M M Kaplan

Division of Gastroenterology, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

In previous studies, the majority of patients with the cholestatic liver diseases, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), had increased hepatic copper (Cu) levels even in early stages of disease. We prospectively measured hepatic copper content by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 55 patients with PBC, 6 patients with PSC, and 29 patients with other chronic noncholestatic liver diseases. Hepatic Cu content was normal in 22/61 (36%) of patients with PBC or PSC; 18 of the 22 did not have cirrhosis (82%). Hepatic Cu content increased with increasing stage of disease (r = 0.61, P < 0.001) and was positively correlated with serum total bilirubin (r = 0.6, P < 0.0001) and alkaline phosphatase (r = 0.5, P < 0.001). All patients with stage I and II disease had hepatic Cu < 150 micrograms/g dry weight, and all patients with hepatic Cu > 150 micrograms/g dry weight had stage III and IV disease. Hepatic Cu content is normal in early PBC and PSC. Copper accumulation in the liver in these cholestatic liver diseases is secondary to cholestasis rather than a primary phenomenon.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008105	Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary	FIBROSIS of the hepatic parenchyma due to obstruction of BILE flow (CHOLESTASIS) in the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts (BILE DUCTS, INTRAHEPATIC; BILE DUCTS, EXTRAHEPATIC). Primary biliary cholangitis involves the destruction of small intra-hepatic bile ducts and decreased bile secretion. Secondary biliary cholangitis is produced by prolonged obstruction of large intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts from a variety of causes.	Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary,Biliary Cirrhosis, Secondary,Cholangitis, Chronic Nonsuppurative Destructive,Liver Cirrhosis, Obstructive,Primary Biliary Cholangitis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary, 1,Primary Biliary Cirrhosis,Secondary Biliary Cholangitis,Secondary Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cholangitides, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Secondary,Cholangitides, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Secondary Biliary,Cirrhosis, Biliary,Cirrhosis, Secondary Biliary,Liver Cirrhoses, Biliary,Obstructive Liver Cirrhosis,Primary Biliary Cholangitides,Secondary Biliary Cholangitides
D008107	Liver Diseases	Pathological processes of the LIVER.	Liver Dysfunction,Disease, Liver,Diseases, Liver,Dysfunction, Liver,Dysfunctions, Liver,Liver Disease,Liver Dysfunctions
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D003300	Copper	A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55.	Copper-63,Copper 63
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000469	Alkaline Phosphatase	An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an orthophosphoric monoester and water to an alcohol and orthophosphate. EC 3.1.3.1.