Ceruloplasmin

Copper is a mineral that your body uses for many important processes, including making energy, blood vessels, and melanin (the substance that gives your skin and eyes their color). Copper helps your body use iron, and it supports brain development. It helps keep your nervous and immune systems healthy, too.

You need only small amounts of copper to stay healthy. Most people get enough copper from the foods they eat. Good sources of copper include shellfish, nuts and seeds, beef liver and other organ meats, wheat-bran cereals, and chocolate.

Normally, most of the copper in your blood is part of ceruloplasmin. So, ceruloplasmin testing can help diagnose conditions that involve having too much or too little copper in your body. Ceruloplasmin also rises temporarily during inflammation, infection, or other stress on the body, since it acts as an acute phase protein.

The results of a ceruloplasmin test alone cannot diagnose any conditions. The meaning of your test results will depend on the results of other tests, including tests that measure the amount of copper in your blood and/or urine.

To make a diagnosis, your provider will consider all your test results along with your symptoms, medical history, and family history. Ask your provider to explain what your ceruloplasmin levels say about your health.

In general, lower than normal ceruloplasmin levels may mean your body is not able to use copper properly (as in Wilson disease), and may also be seen with severe liver disease (including sudden, severe liver failure), poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines, malnutrition, certain kidney conditions that lose protein in the urine, or chronic active hepatitis.

Higher than normal ceruloplasmin levels may be linked to inflammation, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, or certain liver conditions such as primary biliary cirrhosis, so your provider may order additional tests to investigate.