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Obesity is associated with copper elevation in serum and tissues
Haojun Yang1, Chin-Nung Liu1, Risa M Wolf2
1Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Haojun.Yang@uscf.edu lutsenko@jhmi.edu.
Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science
|June 29, 2019
Summary
Obese individuals show altered copper status, with higher copper levels and cuproproteins linked to body mass index (BMI) and leptin. This suggests a potential role for copper in human fat accumulation.
Area of Science:
- Human physiology
- Nutritional science
- Metabolic disorders
Background:
- Copper imbalance is implicated in fat accumulation in animal models.
- Human copper homeostasis in obesity remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate copper status in obese individuals.
- To investigate the relationship between copper levels and obesity markers.
Main Methods:
- Measured serum copper, cuproproteins (semucarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase [SSAO], ceruloplasmin), and copper in adipose and hepatic tissues.
- Correlated copper levels with Body Mass Index (BMI), leptin, and insulin.
- Compared obese patients to lean controls.
Main Results:
- Obese individuals exhibited a positive correlation between serum copper and BMI, leptin, and the leptin/BMI ratio.
- Elevated circulating cuproproteins (SSAO, ceruloplasmin) and higher SSAO activity/copper in visceral fat were observed in obese patients.
- Despite hepatic steatosis reducing liver copper, obese patients with mild steatosis had higher liver copper than lean controls.
Conclusions:
- Obese patients present with an altered copper status.
- Positive correlations suggest copper and cuproproteins may be functionally linked to fat accumulation in humans.
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