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Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1964 May;17(3):260–263. doi: 10.1136/jcp.17.3.260

The microdetermination of biological copper with oxalyldihydrazide

R N Beale 1,2, D Croft 1,2
PMCID: PMC480736  PMID: 14159455

Abstract

Methods are described for the determination of microgram quantities of biological copper in aqueous medium as the intensely coloured oxalyldihydrazide-acetaldehyde complex (molar extinction coefficient 23,000 to 23,500).

The methods are applicable on a routine basis to any biological material, in particular to serum, urine, or tissues, such as liver, brain, or kidney. In the case of urine a simple semi-quantitative screening method is also described. For quantitative work copper is liberated from serum by acid extraction and protein precipitation, and from urine and tissues by a rapid wet-ashing procedure. Recoveries of added copper from urine are quantitative. Precision is high although day-to-day control with standards and blanks is desirable. The methods are applied in an investigation of the diurnal variations in a normal man and in two cases of Wilson's disease.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. GUBLER C. J., LAHEY M. E., ASHENBRUCKER H., CARTWRIGHT G. E., WINTROBE M. M. Studies on copper metabolism I. A method for the determination of copper in whole blood, red blood cells, and plasma. J Biol Chem. 1952 May;196(1):209–220. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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