Stages of copper deficiency and its clinical effects in humans
| Type of copper deficiency . | Cp levela . | . | Clinical manifestations . | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | % Baseline Cp . | Absolute Cp level (mg/dl) . | . | |
| Chemical | 10–30 | 5–15 | Noneb | |
| (target range) | (target range) | Probable inhibition of tumor angiogenesis | ||
| Clinical | ||||
| Mild | <10% | <5 | Mild anemia, Hct ∼80% of baseline | |
| Mild neutropenia | ||||
| Moderate | <10% | <5 | Moderate anemia, leukopenia, possibly symptomatic | |
| Severe | <10% | <5 | Severe bone marrow depression, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias may occur rarely, peripheral neuropathyc | |
| In children, inhibition of epiphyseal bone growth | ||||
| Type of copper deficiency . | Cp levela . | . | Clinical manifestations . | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | % Baseline Cp . | Absolute Cp level (mg/dl) . | . | |
| Chemical | 10–30 | 5–15 | Noneb | |
| (target range) | (target range) | Probable inhibition of tumor angiogenesis | ||
| Clinical | ||||
| Mild | <10% | <5 | Mild anemia, Hct ∼80% of baseline | |
| Mild neutropenia | ||||
| Moderate | <10% | <5 | Moderate anemia, leukopenia, possibly symptomatic | |
| Severe | <10% | <5 | Severe bone marrow depression, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias may occur rarely, peripheral neuropathyc | |
| In children, inhibition of epiphyseal bone growth | ||||
Normal serum Cp levels are 20–35 mg/dl. Cp levels in cancer patients are elevated (20–75 mg/dl).
Bone marrow effects such as anemia and/or leukopenia may occur if the induction of copper deficiency is very rapid, as with high doses of TM, at higher levels of Cp than shown here.
In general, signs and symptoms other than bone marrow depression require severe copper deficiency to have been present for weeks to months.