Special Instructions Obtain a 24-hour urine container from Referral Testing Laboratory PH3W room 375. If porphobilinogen is also requested, do not use acidified urine container. Requisition must state date and time collection started and date and time collection finished. Record total volume on requisition and specimen container.
Collection Instruct the patient to void at 8 AM and discard the specimen. Then collect all urine, including the final specimen voided at the end of the 24-hour collection period (ie, 8 AM the next morning) in special bottle with acid obtained from Special Chemistry. Refrigerate specimen during collection. Screw the lid on securely. Transport the specimen promptly to the laboratory. Container must be labeled with patient's full name, date and time collection started, and date and time collection finished.
Use Delta-ALA may be increased in attacks of acute intermittent porphyria, hereditary coproporphyria, and porphyria. Neurological problems with abdominal pain may be an indication for measuring delta-ALA. Used to diagnose mercury toxicity. Urinary delta-ALA is not a sensitive indicator of lead poisoning because it does not increase until the blood lead concentration is about 40 g/dL, well above the recommended level of <15 g/dL of blood lead.
Methodology Column chromatography and spectrophotometry
g/dL, well above the recommended level of <15