Liver function tests protein synthesized in the liver. It is the carrier of the copper ion. Its levels is increased in infections, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, non Wilson liver disease and obstructive jaundice. In Wilson disease, the ceruloplasmin level is depressed which lead to copper accumulation in body tissues. AFP is significantly expressed in foetal liver. However, the mechanism that led to the suppression of AFP synthesis in adults is not fully known. Exposure of the liver to cancer-causing agents and arrest of liver maturation in childhood can lead to the rise in AFP. AFP can reach until 400–500 μg/L in hepatocellular carcinoma. AFP
Copper in health their associated proteins are enabling scientists to understand how human bodies use copper and why it is important as an essential micronutrient. The diseases arise from defects in two similar copper pumps, the Menkes and the Wilson Cu-ATPases. The Menkes ATPase is expressed in tissues like skin-building fibroblasts, kidneys, placenta, brain, gut and vascular system, while the Wilson ATPase is expressed mainly in the liver, but also in mammary glands and possibly in other specialized tissues. This knowledge is leading scientists towards possible cures for genetic copper diseases. Menkes disease, a genetic condition of copper deficiency, was first described by