Instant effect of induced abortion on serum ceruloplasmin activity, copper and zinc levels

Serum ceruloplasmin activity, serum copper and zinc levels were determined in 20 patients aged 19-43 with normal pregnancies of first trimester (5-9 weeks) admitted to hospital for legal abortion. Blood samples were taken from each patient 30 min before and 3 h after induced abortion. Significantly reduced ceruloplasmin activity (P less than 0.01) and serum copper level (P less than 0.05) were observed following induced abortion while zinc level didn't demonstrate any significant change (P greater than 0.05). A high degree of correlation was observed between the ceruloplasmin activity and the serum copper level (r = 0.87). Ceruloplasmin activity and serum copper values seem to be an index of feto-placental function in early pregnancy.