Urinary copper excretion and hepatic copper concentrations in liver disease.

Urinary copper excretion was found to be increased in patients with cholestasis, hepatitis and cirrhosis, but the penicillamine-induced increment was normal. Wilson's disease patients had increased copper excretion before and after penicillamine, especially in untreated cases. Hepatic copper concentrations correlated with urinary copper excretion in cholestasis and treated Wilson's disease, but not in hepatitis or cirrhosis. In treated Wilson's disease, measurement of urinary copper excretion should be valuable in estimating the degree of removal of copper from the body during therapy. Urinary copper clearances were raised in various liver conditions, maximally in untreated Wilson's disease. It is suggested that only part of the serum non-caeruloplasmin copper is available for excretion into urine.