Effect of pulmonary tuberculosis on blood concentrations of copper and zinc.

An investigation of copper and zinc concentrations in active cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was undertaken. Whole-blood, plasma, and erythrocyte concentrations of copper and zinc were determined for TB patients and controls using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Elevated whole-blood and plasma copper concentrations or depressed whole-blood and plasma zinc concentrations, or both, were characteristic of the TB patients. In most cases, however, the high copper concentrations and low zinc concentrations did not occur concurrently. The whole-blood and plasma copper/zinc concentration ratios were also significantly elevated in the TB patients.