Delta-ALA

Alternative names:

delta-aminolevulinic acid

How the test is performed:

A 24-hour urine sample is needed.
The health care provider will instruct you, if necessary, to discontinue drugs that may interfere with the test.

• On day 1, urinate into the toilet upon arising in the morning.
• Collect all subsequent urine (in a special container) for the next 24-hours.
• On day 2, urinate into the container in the morning upon arising.
• Cap the container. Keep it in the refrigerator or a cool place during the collection period. Label the container with your name, the date, the time of completion, and return it as instructed.

Infant:
Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant. For males, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive attached to the skin. For females, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a diaper over the infant (bag and all). The infant should be checked frequently and the bag changed after the infant has urinated into the bag. For active infants, this procedure may take a couple of attempts--lively infants can displace the bag, causing an inability to obtain the specimen. The urine is drained into the container for transport to the laboratory.

Deliver it to the laboratory or your health care provider as soon as possible upon completion.

Avoid exposure of the urine to direct light.

How to prepare for the test:

No special preparation is necessary for this test, but if the collection is being taken from an infant, a couple of extra collection bags may be necessary.

How the test will feel:

The test involves only normal urination and there is no discomfort.

Why the test is performed:

This test is useful in detecting specific liver abnormalities.

Delta-ALA is a chemical produced from amino acids in the liver. It is the basic "building block" for the synthesis of porphyrins. The most important function of porphyrins are as components of heme (which is the major building block of hemoglobin). Oxygen binds to the iron in the heme molecules.

Various kinds of porphyrins exist with the same basic structure but with slightly different chemical "side-chains". The major biochemical pathway is delta-ALA --> PBG --> uroporphyrin --> coproporphyrin --> protoporphyrin --> heme. Each step in the pathway requires a specific enzyme. If any of the enzymes is deficient, a type of porphyria results.