Abstract
Levels of copper above 55 ug/G dry weight in adult human liver are considered to be abnormal and may be associated with liver cell damage. In primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) Epstein et al (1981)1 failed to find any correlation between liver copper concentration and the degree of liver damage. In Wilson’s disease (WD) no histochemically detectable copper was found in some livers with high levels of copper measured by neutron activation analysis2. Conventional histochemical stains for copper such as rhodanine and rubeanic acid demonstrate CuII3. Orcein demonstrates copper associated protein (CAP) which is probably polymerised metallothionein (MT)4. The molecular state of copper appears to determine both its hepatotoxity and our ability to demonstrate it histochemically and we suggest that ‘invisible’ copper is non-toxic CuMT5. This study examines the relationship between Cu, CAP and MT in 132 human liver biopsies.
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