Ceruloplasmin( copper-containing oxidase) in serum

Reference values ​​of the concentration of ceruloplasmin in the serum in adults are 180-450 mg / l.

Ceruloplasmin is a protein with a molecular weight of 150,000 daltons, contains 8 ions of Cu1 + and 8 ions of Cu2 +.The main copper-containing plasma protein belongs to a2-globulins;it accounts for 3% of the total amount of copper in the body and more than 95% of serum copper. Ceruloplasmin has a pronounced oxidase activity;in plasma, it also limits the release of iron stores, activates the oxidation of ascorbic acid

of acid, norepinephrine, serotonin and sulfhydryl compounds, and also inactivates the active forms of oxygen, preventing peroxidation of lipids.

The lack of ceruloplasmin due to a violation of its synthesis in the liver causes Wilson-Konovalov's disease( hepatocerebral degeneration).With a lack of ceruloplasmin, copper ions go into the extravascular space( the copper content in the blood also decreases).They pass through the renal basement membranes into the glomerular filtrate and are excreted in the urine or accumulate in the connective tissue( for example, in the cornea).The accumulation of copper in the central nervous system is of particular importance. Insufficiency of copper ions in the blood( due to a deficiency of ceruloplasms) leads to an increase in their resorption in the intestine, which further contributes to its accumulation in the body with subsequent exposure to a number of vital processes. Reduction of the concentration of ceruloplasms in the blood reveals in 97% of patients with Wilson-Konovalov's disease. Reduction of the content of ceruloplasmin in the blood serum is also noted in nephrotic syndrome, gastrointestinal diseases, severe liver damage( in 23% of cases) due to its losses and disruption of synthesis.

Ceruloplasmin belongs to the acute phase protein( half-life of 6 days), so the increase in its concentration in the blood is observed in patients with acute and chronic infectious diseases, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, MI, systemic diseases, lymphogranulomatosis. The increase in the level of ceruloplasmin was noted in patients with schizophrenia.

The content of ceruloplasmin in the blood serum for malignant tumors of various localizations( lung, breast, cervical, gastrointestinal) increases( on average 1.5-2 times), especially when the process is spreading. Successful chemo- and radiotherapy reduces the content of ceruloplasmin in the blood, up to normalization. With ineffective therapy, as well as with the progression of the disease, the content of ceruloplasmin remains high.