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Catecholamines/Metanefrines in urine by LC/MS (code LC77010) 96 test package. INSIGHTS
Catecholamines are dihydroxyl organic compounds characterized by a phenolic ring. Epinephrine (E), Norepinephrine (NE), and Dopamine are the most important members of this family. The biosynthetic pathway of catecholamines uses L-tyrosine as initial substratum. Catecholamines are often determined in urine for neurological diagnosis and for monitoring the response to therapy in illnesses like pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma. Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor derived from adrenomedullary chromaffin cells. They are dangerous because of their capacity to store and release catecholamines in large amounts with subsequent production of alarming syndromes including sustained hypertension, etc. The blood test is more useful when the patient is affected by persistent hypertension or such episodes; this is because the hormones do not remain in the circulatory system long enough, but they are utilized,metabolized and expelled. The exam on the urinary matrix measures the quantity of catecholamines released in 24 hours. Since the hormonal concentrations vary over the day, the examination of the urine sample candetermine an excessive production that would be overlooked on a plasmatic matrix. Neuroblastoma, the second most common solid tumor that occurs during childhood, may appear almost anywhere along the sympathetic nervous system chain. This tumor synthesizes and secretes catecholamines and metabolites like DOPA, dopamine, VMA, and homovanillic acid.
Principle of the Method: The urinary sample is treated with SPE extraction and injected in LC-MS/MS
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