Fulltext

How reliable and robust are current biomarkers for copper status?

Danzeisen, Ruth ; Araya, Magdalena ; Harrison, Brenda ; Keen, Carl ; Solioz, Marc ; Thiele, Dennis ; McArdle, Harry J.

In: British Journal of Nutrition, 2007, vol. 98, no. 4, p. 676-683

Add to personal list
    Title
    • How reliable and robust are current biomarkers for copper status?
    Author
    • Danzeisen, Ruth. International Copper Association, 260 Madison Avenue (FL 16), New York, NY 10016, USA
    • Araya, Magdalena. Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
    • Harrison, Brenda. Copper Research Information Flow Project, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
    • Keen, Carl. Department of Nutrition, One Shields Avenue, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
    • Solioz, Marc. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Berne, Murtenstrasse 35, CH, 3010, Berne, Switzerland
    • Thiele, Dennis. Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
    • McArdle, Harry J.. The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Green Road, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • British Journal of Nutrition, 2007, vol. 98, no. 4, p. 676-683. Cambridge University Press
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:296035
    Summary
    Cu is an essential nutrient for man, but can be toxic if intakes are too high. In sensitive populations, marginal over- or under-exposure can have detrimental effects. Malnourished children, the elderly, and pregnant or lactating females may be susceptible for Cu deficiency. Cu status and exposure in the population can currently not be easily measured, as neither plasma Cu nor plasma cuproenzymes reflect Cu status precisely. Some blood markers (such as ceruloplasmin) indicate severe Cu depletion, but do not inversely respond to Cu excess, and are not suitable to indicate marginal states. A biomarker of Cu is needed that is sensitive to small changes in Cu status, and that responds to Cu excess as well as deficiency. Such a marker will aid in monitoring Cu status in large populations, and will help to avoid chronic health effects (for example, liver damage in chronic toxicity, osteoporosis, loss of collagen stability, or increased susceptibility to infections in deficiency). The advent of high-throughput technologies has enabled us to screen for potential biomarkers in the whole proteome of a cell, not excluding markers that have no direct link to Cu. Further, this screening allows us to search for a whole group of proteins that, in combination, reflect Cu status. The present review emphasises the need to find sensitive biomarkers for Cu, examines potential markers of Cu status already available, and discusses methods to identify a novel suite of biomarkers