What it measures
Caeruloplasmin is a protein made in the liver that carries most of the copper in the blood. The test measures how much is present, usually alongside copper itself.
Why people test it
- Measured with copper when looking into Wilson's disease, an inherited condition where copper builds up.
- Checked when looking into low copper, which can follow gut surgery or a high zinc intake.
- Used to help read a copper result, since most blood copper is bound to it.
Typical range
Ranges vary by lab, method, age and sex, and your report shows the lab's own range. One NHS trust gives 0.20 to 0.60 g/L. Source: Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Caeruloplasmin.
Finger-prick or vein?
Taken from a vein. Providers offer it only as a vein draw, at a clinic or with a visiting nurse.
Oestrogen, from pregnancy or the combined pill, raises caeruloplasmin, and so does inflammation.