Ceruloplasmin Test

Your physician will recommend a ceruloplasmin test when he/she suspect that you have Wilson’s disease (an inherited disorder characterised by storage of excessive amounts of copper in the brain, liver and other organs). The following are the signs and symptoms of Wilson’s disease:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice
• Anaemia
• Stiff muscles
• Behavioural changes
• Tremors
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dystonia (motion disorder characterised by uncontrollable muscle contraction)
• Low white blood cell count or platelet count
• High levels of carbohydrates, proteins, uric acid and amino acids in urine
• Slow clotting of blood
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Swelling in the liver and spleen

Additionally, this test may be ordered under the following conditions:

• In individuals with suspected copper deficiency.
• For regular monitoring of individuals known to have high or low levels of copper and to monitor the effectiveness of their treatment.
• For diagnosing Menkes kinky hair syndrome (a rare inherited disorder).
• In individuals suspected to have disorders related to copper storage or metabolism.

You do not need any special preparations for this test, but make sure that you inform your doctor if you have any medical conditions or if you are taking any medications.

This is a simple blood test. Your healthcare practitioner will withdraw a few millilitres of blood from a vein in your arm. You may feel slight pain as the needle goes in, however, apart from that the test is risk-free.

If you notice any bruising or infection at the needle insertion site, please talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Normal results:

The normal reference range of ceruloplasmin is 14-40 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) or 0.93-2.65 μmol/L of blood.

However, there may be variations in the values in different laboratories.

Abnormal results:

Lower than normal ceruloplasmin levels may indicate conditions such as:

• Wilson disease
• Menkes syndrome, in which the cells in the body are able to absorb copper, but cannot release it
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Malnutrition
• Chronic liver or kidney disease (Read more: Chronic kidney disease symptoms)

Higher than normal ceruloplasmin levels may indicate:

• Use of medications such as oestrogen, valproic acid, oral contraceptives, carbamazepine or phenobarbital
• Pregnancy
• Heart disease, e.g., heart attack
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Cancers such as leukaemia
• Tissue damage
• Severe infection

Copper level is found to be below normal in individuals with Wilson’s disease, generally below 10 mg/dL (the normal range is 70 to 140 mg/dL. However, in individuals who also have acute liver failure, copper levels are found to be above normal. On the other hand, normal ceruloplasmin levels can be seen in those who have Wilson’s disease along with acute hepatitis. This test is usually done along with blood or urine copper tests for accurate results if Wilson disease is suspected. (Read more: Blood copper test)

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.