Determination of copper, manganese and zinc in human liver

Autopsied liver tissue samples collected from 42 males and 31 females were analyzed for copper, manganese and zinc using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). With the exception of two liver samples for which the copper levels were determined to be 74.8 and 104.0 micrograms/g (dry weight), hepatic copper concentrations were found to range from 1.7 to 32.4 micrograms/g with a mean concentration of 14.2 micrograms/g and standard deviation of 7.0 micrograms/g. Manganese concentrations (with the exception of one sample having 12.9 micrograms/g) ranged from 0.22 to 4.6 micrograms/g with a mean of 2.26 +/- 1.00 micrograms/g. Hepatic zinc levels averaged 118.3 +/- 44.4 micrograms/g and ranged from 38.5 to 231.3 micrograms/g. There were no apparent trends for the levels of any metals versus age nor were there any differences in average hepatic metal concentrations for males and females.