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Porphyrins help form many important substances in the body including hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen in the blood.
Porphyrins can be found in urine. A urine porphyrins test measures the amount of porphyrins in the urine.
Alternative NamesUroporphyrin
How the test is performedA 24-hour urine sample is needed.
- On day 1, urinate into the toilet when waking up in the morning.
- For the next 24 hours, every time you urinate, collect the urine in a special container. Keep it in the refrigerator or a cool place during the collection period.
- On day 2, urinate into the container in the morning when waking up. Close the container, and label it with your name, date, and time you finished.
- Return the container to your health care provider as instructed.
In infants:
Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra (the area where urine exits). Open the urine collection bag provided by your doctor. For boys, place the entire penis in the bag and attach it to the surrounding skin. For girls, place the bag over the labia.
You can diaper the baby as usual, over the collection bag.
Note: It may take a few tries to get the bag correctly into place. Check the infant frequently and change the bag after the infant has urinated. Drain the urine into the special container provided by your health care provider. Take the container to the laboratory or your health care provider as soon as possible.
How to prepare for the testExtra collection bags may be necessary if the urine sample is being taken from an infant.
Your doctor may tell you to stop taking any medicines that may affect the test results. NEVER stop taking any medicine without first talking to your doctor.
Drugs that can affect test measurements include:
- Aminosalicylic acid
- Birth Control pills
- Barbiturates
- Chloral hydrate
- Chlorpropamide
- Ethyl alcohol
- Griseofulvin
- Morphine
- Phenazopyridine
- Procaine
- Sulfonamides
The test will feel the same as normal urination.
Why the test is performedYour doctor will order this test if you have signs of porphyria or other disorders that can cause abnormal urine porphyrins.
Normal ValuesNormal results vary. In general, for a 24-hour urine test, the range is about 50 - 300 mg (milligrams).
What abnormal results meanAbnormal results may be due to:
- Liver cancer
- Hepatitis
- Lead poisoning
- Porphyria (several types)
Anderson K. The porphyrias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 229.
McPherson R, Ben-Ezra J, Zhao S. Basic examination of urine. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2006:chap 27.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoPorphyrins help form many important substances in the body including hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen in the blood.
Porphyrins can be found in urine. A urine porphyrins test measures the amount of porphyrins in the urine.
Alternative NamesUrine uroporphyrin; Urine coproporphyrin
How the test is performedA 24-hour urine sample is needed.
- On day 1, urinate into the toilet when waking up in the morning.
- For the next 24 hours, every time you urinate, collect the urine in a special container. Keep it in the refrigerator or a cool place during the collection period.
- On day 2, urinate into the container in the morning when waking up. Close the container, and label it with your name, date, and time you finished.
- Return the container to your health care provider as instructed.
In infants:
Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra (the area where urine exits). Open the urine collection bag provided by your doctor. For boys, place the entire penis in the bag and attach it to the surrounding skin. For girls, place the bag over the labia.
You can diaper the baby as usual, over the collection bag.
Note: It may take a few tries to get the bag correctly into place. Check the infant frequently and change the bag after the infant has urinated. Drain the urine into the special container provided by your health care provider. Take the container to the laboratory or your health care provider as soon as possible.
How to prepare for the testExtra collection bags may be necessary if the urine sample is being taken from an infant.
Your doctor may tell you to stop taking any medicines that may affect the test results. NEVER stop taking any medicine without first talking to your doctor.
Drugs that can affect test measurements include:
- Aminosalicylic acid
- Birth control pills
- Barbiturates
- Chloral hydrate
- Chlorpropamide
- Ethyl alcohol
- Griseofulvin
- Morphine
- Phenazopyridine
- Procaine
- Sulfonamides
The test will feel the same as normal urination.
Why the test is performedYour doctor will order this test if you have signs of porphyria or other disorders that can cause abnormal urine porphyrins.
Normal ValuesNormal results vary. In general, for a 24-hour urine test, the range is about 50 - 300 mg (milligrams).
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.
What abnormal results meanAbnormal results may be due to:
- Liver cancer
- Hepatitis
- Lead poisoning
- Porphyria (several types)
Anderson K. The porphyrias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 229.
McPherson R, Ben-Ezra J, Zhao S. Basic examination of urine. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2006:chap 27.
Wiley JS, Moore MR. Heme biosynthesis and its disorders: porphyrias and sideroblastic anemias. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ Jr., Shattil SJ, et al, eds. Hoffman Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008:chap 38.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 02/28/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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Is pyroluria connected to porphyria?
Yes, in acute intermittent porphyria, both pyrroles and porphyrins are excreted in the urine to an excessive degree.
What is porphryia?
Porphyria is a rare hereditary disease in which the blood pigment hemoglobin is abnormally metabolized. Porphyrins are excreted in the urine, which becomes dark; other symptoms include mental disturbances and extreme sensitivity of the skin to light.
What is the extinction coefficient of porphyrins?
The extinction coefficients of Porphyrins are 105 M-1, cm1. Longer wavelengths are somewhat weaker and will have extinction coefficients of 104 M-1, cm1.
Name the metalloporphyrin essential for photosynthesis and the metal ion involved in it?
Porphyrins is the metalloporphyrin that is essential for photosynthesis.
What is principal pigment of plants?
The pigments in plants are organic chemicals such as these: Porphyrins for the reds Carotenoids for the orange Anthocyanins for the blues Betalains for reds and yellows chlorophyll for the greens (Actually, chlorophyll is a porphyrin; porphyrins can be any color depending on the metal species at the center.)
What is a bilin?
A bilin is any of various biological pigments formed in many organisms as a metabolic product of certain porphyrins.
What has the author Leo P Vernon written?
Leo P. Vernon has written: 'The chlorophylls' -- subject(s): Chlorophyll, Porphyrins
What has the author Alfred Gajdos written?
Alfred Gajdos has written: 'Porphyrines et prophyries' -- subject(s): Porphyria, Porphyrins, Metabolism
What is a description of porphyrias?
Owing to a defect in one of the enzymes of the heme biosynthesis pathway, protoporphyrins or porphyrins (heme precursors) are prevented from proceeding further along the pathway.
What is porphyria?
Porphyria is a metabolic disorder and is genetic. It is one of the acute porphyrias and cutaneous porphyria are also found within this condition. The gene mutation R59W carried within my family; the common defect responsible for Variegate Porphyria in South Africa, results in a faulty enzyme (protoporphyrinogen oxidase PPOX) that cannot handle the normal metabolism of porphyrins, which results in overproduction in the blood and urine.
What are some abnormal urinalysis results and describe them?
These are all screening test, but not confirmation test. Red, cloudy urine means hematuria (blood in the urine) Red, clear urine means hemaglobinuria (hemaglobin in the urine. Dark reddish brown cola-colored urine means Myoglobinuria (myoglobin in the urine) Beer-brown-colored urine means indicative of bilirubin Dark red like port wine-colored urine means porphyrins (iron pigment). Very turbid urine means pyuria (Abnormal numbers of white blood cells in the urine) Orange Urine means the patient consume a lot of beta-carotene. Black to Dark brown urine means Alkaptonuria (melanin or homogentisic acid in the urine) Huge amount of urine means polyuria and may have type I/II diabetes High bilirubin levels in urine means hepatitis/jaundice High urobilinogen level in urine means excessive destruction of Red blood cells or patient have infectious mononucleosis. Low / No Urobilinogen and High Bilirubin in urine with high levels of bilirubin in the blood means Obstruction of Bile ducts/Obstructive jaundice Urine positive for Ketones means diabetic ketoacidosis, the patient is diabetic or having a crash diet. High glucose level in urine means lack of control of the diabetes High glucose level and normal blood sugar level means lowered renal threshold. Marked High Protein level in the urine means Nephrotic syndrome, Renal vein thrombosis, Amyloid disease, Lupus erythematosus. (4 gms/day) High protein level and heated at 100 C becomes normal/low protein level means multiple myeloma/macroglobulinemia. There are more informations if you bought the urinalysis book.
Why does your urine smell like urine?
Because urine has urine in it.
