Ceruloplasmin

Sample type:

• Serum (preferred) or plasma.

Uses:

• Ceruloplasmin is used in evaluation of chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other liver disease.

Precautions:

• In Wilson’s disease, there is decreased ability to incorporate copper into apoceruloplasmin. As a result, free copper levels in plasma and in tissue, especially liver and brain, are greatly increased.

Interfering Factors:

• Ceruloplasmin is low in Menkes kinky hair syndrome (In Menkes syndrome the defect is secondary to poor absorption and utilization of dietary copper.) and with protein loss such as the nephrotic syndromes, malabsorption, and with some cases of advanced liver disease in which decreases of serum proteins have occurred.

• Ceruloplasmin is high in a variety of neoplastic and inflammatory states, since it behaves as an acute phase reactant, although levels rise more slowly than “acute phase reactants.” Increases are described with carcinomas, leukemias, Hodgkin’s disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, and with SLE and rheumatoid arthritis.

Pre analytical errors:

1) Wrong Labeling of the Containers.

2) Errors in Specimen Preparation.

3) Inappropriate Laboratory Test Requisition.

4) Inadequate Volume.

Corrective action:

1. Make correct Labeling of the Containers.

2. No errors in Specimen Preparation.

3. Appropriate Laboratory Test Requisition.

4. Adequate Volume.

Post analytical errors:

1. Failure in reporting.

2. Erroneous validation of analytical data.

3. Improper data entry.

Corrective action:

1. Write correct report.

2. All analytical data should be valid.

3. Proper data entrty.

Reference range:

• Male: 16:31 (mg/dl).

• Female: 19:39 (mg/dl).