Porphobilinogen - urine
Last updated: Thursday, 25, March, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | Random urine specimen, kept frozen and protect from light if immediate analysis is not possible. |
| Method | Spectrophotometry. |
| Reference Interval | <10 µmol/L. |
| Application | Diagnosis of acute neurological porphyria (acute intermittent porphyria, porphyria variegata, hereditary coproporphyria) during a symptomatic period. |
| Interpretation | Porphobilinogen elevation establishes the diagnosis of an acute neurological porphyria, but the pattern of increased urinary porphyrin excretion must be defined to identify the specific disorder. During an acute episode a normal porphobilinogen excludes porphyria as the cause of the acute symptoms. |
| Reference | Lecha M et al. Dermatol Ther. 2003; 16(1): 65-72. |