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