STUDY ON CORRELATIONS AMONG CERULOPLASMIN, COPPER OF SERUM, LIVER AND KIDNEY OF GOATS IN SHAHREKORD SLAUGHTERHOUSE

In order to determine the copper status and correlation between the ceruloplasmin and copper of serum and among the copper of serum, liver and kidney of slaughtered goats in Shahrekord, blood, liver and kidney samples (10 gr) from 100 goats were gathered. The amounts of ceruloplasmin and copper of serum, liver and kidney were measured by Sunderman - Nomoto and Shimadzu atomic absorption method, respectively. Results were analyzed by Pearson correlation test, Chi square test. The mean serum ceruloplasmin value of goats was 190±40.2 mg/L. The corresponding value for the copper of serum was 14.32±2.42 µmol/L. Mean liver and kidney copper levels were respectively 4596.08±1967.5 and 271.98±59.81 µmol/Kg. There was a significant correlation (p<0.05) between the level of ceruloplasmin and copper of serum (r = 0.85). There was also a correlation (p< 0.05) between copper of serum and liver (r =0.56), copper of serum and kidney (r = 0.36) and copper of liver and kidney (r =0.22). Kidney copper concentration in 7% of goats were lower than 199.89 µmol/Kg and serum copper level in 4% of goats were between 6.29-11.01 µmol/L. They indicated that between 4 to 7 percent of goats had marginal copper deficiency. Data shows low correlation among variables and only correlation between serum copper and ceruloplasmin was high. It could be concluded that copper deficiency can occur under certain conditions in Shahrekord.