Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA), Urine

Also known as: ALA U

Clinical Use

Use

The Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA), Urine test is used to evaluate suspected aminolevulinic acid dehydratase deficiency (ADP) porphyria or hereditary tyrosinemia. Elevated levels of ALA in urine can be indicative of acute porphyrias, lead exposure, and hereditary tyrosinemia. The test is crucial for diagnosing these conditions and guiding patient management and treatment strategies.

Special Instructions

Not provided.

Limitations

Preservation of the specimen with acid or base can cause assay interference, thus it is discouraged. When collecting urine for additional tests requiring acid or base preservation, remove the ALA aliquot before adding the preservative. Deviations in collection time or urine volume can affect the ratios and interpretation of analytes to a corresponding urine creatinine concentration.

Test Details

New York Approved

Methodology

Automated Analyzer (Spectrophotometry)

Biomarkers

Aminolevulinic Acid

Analyte

Aminolevulinic Acid - per volume

Concentration / Level • Quantitative (Continuous) (e.g., copies/mL, % expression)

Creatinine

Analyte

Creatinine, Urine - per 24h

Concentration / Level • Quantitative (Continuous) (e.g., copies/mL, % expression)

LOINC Codes

Result Codes

35674-1 - Creat ?Tm Ur-mCnc
2162-6 - Creat 24h Ur-mRate
34284-0 - D-ALA Ur-sCnc
14689-4 - D-ALA 24h Ur-sRate
19153-6 - Specimen vol ?Tm Ur
30211-7 - Specimen collect Time Spec

Result Turnaround Time

1-4 days

Specimen

Urine

Volume

4 mL

Minimum Volume

1.2 mL

Container

ARUP Standard Transport Tube

Collection Instructions

Transfer a 4 mL aliquot from a well-mixed 24 hour or random collection to an ARUP Standard Transport Tube. Refrigerate 24-hour specimens during collection.