Serum copper compared to erythrocyte sedimentation rate as indicator of disease activity in Hodgkin's disease.

Serum copper and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were recorded in 54 patients with active Hodgkin's disease and at 186 occasions in 78 patients during stable complete remission. Relatively high and age-dependent normal limits for erythrocyte sedimentation rate were used. Each of the tests was elevated in 70% of patients with active disease. During remission serum copper was elevated in 14% and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 16.5% of the determinations. Thus the two tests are considered not far from equal in their ability to discriminate between presence and absence of specific disease activity in Hodgkin's disease. Simultaneous elevation during remission occurred in less than 5% of the recordings as compared to 61% during active disease. It is therefore concluded that serum copper level may be of some value as a supplement to erythrocyte sedimentation rate.