by Chan Wing-Wah, Anita. / Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55). / LIST OF TABLES / LIST OF FIGURES / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS / ABSTRACT / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- General functions of copper --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Absorption and hepatic metabolism of copper --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Distribution of copper among components of human serum --- p.2 / Chapter 1.4 --- Plasma copper concentration in disease --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Patients with various tumours --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Patients with gynaecological tumours --- p.4 / Chapter 1.5 --- Serum caeruloplasmin concentration in various malignancies --- p.5 / Chapter 1.6 --- Aim of the study --- p.6 / Chapter 1.7 --- Introduction to some laboratory methods --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7.1 --- Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7.2 --- Electrothermal (flameless) atomic absorption spectrophotometry --- p.7 / Chapter 1.7.3 --- Separation of the non-protein bound (free) copper --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- MATERIALS AND METHODS --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Preparation of the ultrafiltrate --- p.12 / Chapter i. --- Ultrafiltration --- p.12 / Chapter ii. --- Determination of protein in the ultrafiltrate --- p.12 / Chapter iii. --- Verification for copper binding property of the YMT membranes --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Establishment of the method for the determination of copper by the graphite furnace atomic absorption --- p.13 / Chapter i. --- Parameters --- p.13 / Chapter ii. --- Method evaluation --- p.13 / Chapter a. --- Precision: within-run precision between-day precision --- p.13 / Chapter b. --- Recovery --- p.15 / Chapter c. --- Linearity --- p.15 / Chapter d. --- Detection limit --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Determination of ultrafiltrable copper concentration --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Effect of storage --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Comparison between healthy male and female subjects --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Determination of serum total copper and caeruloplasmin --- p.17 / Chapter i. --- Determination of total copper --- p.17 / Chapter ii. --- Determination of caeruloplasmin --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3 --- Blood specimens --- p.18 / Chapter 2.4 --- Patient samples --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5 --- Control subjects --- p.18 / Chapter 2.6 --- Statistics --- p.19 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- RESULTS --- p.20 / Chapter 3.1 --- Some experimental studies about the YMT membranes --- p.20 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Membrane leakage --- p.20 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Verification for copper binding property of the YMT membranes --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2 --- Method evaluation --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Standard addition --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Precision --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Recovery --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Linearity --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Detection limit --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Effect of storage of specimens --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.7 --- Comparison between healthy male and female subjects --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3 --- "Results of ultrafiltrable (free) copper, total copper and caeruloplasmin" --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- "Serum total copper, caeruloplasmin and ultrafiltrable (free) copper in patients with gynaecological malignancies and control subjects" --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- "Relationship between total copper, caerulo- plasmin and ultrafiltrable (free) copper concentration" --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4 --- "Results of ultrafiltrable (free) copper, total copper and caeruloplasmin versus FIGO stage" --- p.41 / Chapter CHAPTER 4. --- DISCUSSION --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1 --- About the ultrafiltration --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2 --- Validation of the method performance --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- "Discussion on ultrafiltrable (free) copper, total copper and caeruloplasmin concentration in patients with gynaecological malignancies" --- p.48 / REFERENCE --- p.51