Copper deficiency after gastric surgery: a reason for caution

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Hematology
• Neurology

Background:

• Acquired copper deficiency can cause hematological and neurological symptoms similar to vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Gastric surgery, particularly partial gastric resection, is a common factor in patients with copper deficiency syndrome.
• The long-term effects of partial gastric resection on copper levels are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of copper deficiency in individuals with a history of longstanding partial gastric resection.
• To compare copper and zinc levels in patients with partial gastric resection to a control group.

Main Methods:

• Serum copper, ceruloplasmin, and zinc levels were measured.
• 20 patients with a history of partial gastric resection were compared to 50 randomly selected controls.
• Data was sourced from the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center electronic database.

Main Results:

• Hypocupremia and copper deficiency symptoms were observed in 3 out of 20 patients with partial gastric resection, versus 0 out of 50 controls (P = 0.02).
• Patients with partial gastric resection had significantly lower serum copper (P = 0.04) and ceruloplasmin (P = 0.001) levels compared to controls.
• The average time since gastric surgery was 20.7 years.

Conclusions:

• A notable proportion of individuals with a history of partial gastric resection have undiagnosed hypocupremia.
• Screening for copper deficiency following gastric surgery is advised.
• Early detection and management of copper deficiency can prevent severe hematological and neurological complications.