Specimen Requirements
Title
PORPHOBILINOGEN, URINE, QUANTITATIVE
Specimen Requirement
Collect 24 hour urine. Sample must be protected from light and kept refrigerated during collection.
Methodology
Stability
Room Temperature Unacceptable, Refrigerated 7 days, Frozen 1 month
Reference Range
By Report*
Turnaround
3-7 days Performed Mon-Fri
Clinical Use
Detect porphyrias and porphyrinurias. Acute intermittent porphyria is characterized by excretion of porphobilinogen and delta aminolevulinic acid in urine during acute attacks, but not during latency. Increased porphobilinogen may be caused also by variegate porphyria or hereditary coproporphyria. Increased urine values are seen in the intoxication porphyrias (heavy metals, halogenated solvents, certain drugs).
Test Code
PUW