Lab Dept:

Chemistry

Test Name:

AMINO ACIDS, PLASMA

General Information

Lab Order Codes:

AAQP

Synonyms:

Aminogram; Amino Acid Fractionation

CPT Codes:

82139 – Amino acids; 6 or more, quantitative, each specimen

Test Includes:

1-methylhistidine, 3-methylhistidine, alanine, B-alanine, A-amino-n-butyric acid, A-aminoadipic Acid, allo-isoleucine, anserine, arginine, argininosuccinic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, beta, aminoisobutyric Acid, carnosine, citrulline, cystathionine, cystine, ethanolamine, Gamma-Amino-n-butyric acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, homocitrulline, hydroxylysine, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, ornithine, phenylalanine, phosphoserine, phosphoethanoloamine, proline, sarcosine, serine, taurine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine levels reported in nmol/mL.

Logistics

Test Indications:

Evaluating patients with possible inborn errors of metabolism.

May aid in evaluation of endocrine disorders, liver diseases, neurological disorders, nutritional disturbances, renal failure, and burns.

Lab Testing Sections:

Chemistry - Sendouts

Referred to:

Mayo Medical Laboratories (Test# AAQP)

Phone Numbers:

Minneapolis:

Saint Paul:

612-813-6280

651-220-6550

Test Availability:

Daily, 24 hours

Turnaround Time:

3 - 5 days, test performed Monday – Friday

Special Instructions:

Provide family history, clinical condition (asymptomatic or acute episode), diet and drug therapy to the lab to accompany the specimen.

Special tube: Obtain Sodium Heparin (Na Hep) green top tube from the laboratory.

See Patient Preparation

Specimen

Specimen Type:

Blood

Container:

Green top (Na Heparin) tube
Note: Thrombin-activated tube is not acceptable.

Draw Volume:

1.5 mL (Minimum: 1 mL) blood

Processed Volume:

0.5 mL (Minimum: 0.3 mL) plasma

Collection:

Routine venipuncture

Special Processing:

Lab Staff: Centrifuge specimen, separate and aliquot into a screw-capped round bottom plastic vial. Include family history, clinical condition, diet and drug therapy information along with the specimen. Ship and store at frozen temperatures. Forward promptly.

Patient Preparation:

Overnight fast is preferred (4 hour fast in infants).

Sample Rejection:

Warm specimens; mislabeled or unlabeled specimens

Interpretive

Reference Range:

An interpretation is provided with each report.

See the following link for specific reference ranges: http://www.mayoreferenceservices.org/it-mmfiles/InbornErrors0208.pdf

Critical Values:

N/A

Limitations:

Reference values apply to fasting patients.

Methodology:

Quantitative analysis by LC-MSMS

References:

Mayo Medical Laboratories October 2012

Updates:

3/11/2004: Test moved from Fairview Diagnostic Laboratories to Mayo Medical Laboratories.
5/16/2008: Updated link to reference ranges.
1/11/2011: Addition of arginosuccinic acid and allo-leucine. Units change from umol/L to nmol/mL.
2/8/2012: Tube type changed to Na Hep.
10/3/2012: 17 additional amino acid levels have been added to the assay.