Increased serum copper in primary pulmonary hypertension: a possible pathogenic link?

In conscious sheep, we showed that intravenous infusion of copper sulfate produced a marked increase in pulmonary vascular resistance which was prevented by alpha-adrenergic blockade or catecholamine depletion. Because of these observations, we measured serum copper in 7 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, and in 6 normal women. The 5 female patients had taken contraceptive and appetite-suppressant medication in the past. The mean serum copper level was significantly higher in patients with pulmonary hypertension, indicating that increased serum copper may be a cause or a marker of this entity.