Amino acids - urine; Urine amino acids DefinitionAminoaciduria is an abnormally high amount of amino acids in the urine. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins in the body. How the Test is PerformedA clean-catch urine sample may be needed. This is often done at your health care provider's office or health clinic. How to Prepare for the TestMost of the time, you do not need to take special steps before this test. Make sure your provider knows all of the medicines you recently used. If this test is being done on an infant who is breastfeeding, make sure the provider knows what medicines the nursing mother is taking. How the Test will FeelThe test involves only normal urination. Why the Test is PerformedThis test is done to measure amino acid levels in the urine. There are many different types of amino acids. It is common for some of each kind to be found in the urine. Increased levels of individual amino acids can be a sign of a problem with metabolism. Normal ResultsThe specific value is measured in mmol/mol creatinine. The values below represent normal ranges in 24 hours urine for adults. Alanine: 9 to 98 Arginine: 0 to 8 Asparagine: 10 to 65 Aspartic acid: 5 to 50 Citrulline: 1 to 22 Cystine: 2 to 12 Glutamic acid: 0 to 21 Glutamine: 11 to 42 Glycine: 17 to 146 Histidine: 49 to 413 Isoleucine: 30 to 186 Leucine: 1 to 9 Lysine: 2 to 16 Methionine: 2 to 53 Ornithine: 1 to 5 Phenylalanine: 1 to 5 Proline: 3 to 13 Serine: 0 to 9 Taurine: 18 to 89 Threonine: 13 to 587 Tyrosine: 3 to 14 Valine: 3 to 36 Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider 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 MeanIncreased total urine amino acids may be due to:
ConsiderationsScreening infants for increased levels of amino acids can help detect problems with metabolism. Early treatment for these conditions may prevent complications in the future. ReferencesDietzen DJ, Willrich MAV. Amino acids, peptides, and proteins. In: Rifai N, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham Carey-Ann D, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 31. Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM. Defects in metabolism of amino acids. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 103. Riley RS, McPherson RA. Basic examination of urine. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Elsevier; 2022:chap 29. | |
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Review Date: 4/24/2023 Reviewed By: Anna C. Edens Hurst, MD, MS, Associate Professor in Medical Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | |
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Urine sample
Aminoaciduria urin...
