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Test ID CARN Carnitine, Plasma

Useful For

Evaluation of patients with a clinical suspicion of a wide range of conditions including organic acidemias, fatty acid oxidation disorders, and primary carnitine deficiency using plasma specimens

Highlights

Carnitine levels are disturbed in primary disorders of the carnitine cycle, or secondary disturbances of carnitine metabolism due to other biochemical disorders.

 

Additional testing is required to distinguish between primary and secondary deficiencies of carnitine.

 

Dietary intake (meat, carnitine supplementation) may cause increased carnitine values.

 

Abnormal results are accompanied by detailed interpretation including recommendations for follow-up testing.

Method Name

Flow Injection Analysis-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS)

Reporting Name

Carnitine, P

Specimen Type

Plasma


Necessary Information


Patient's age is required.



Specimen Required


Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)

Collection Container/Tube:

Preferred: Green top (sodium heparin)

Acceptable: Lavender top (EDTA), green top (lithium heparin)

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot plasma into a plastic vial


Specimen Minimum Volume

0.2 mL

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Plasma Frozen (preferred) 60 days
  Refrigerated  21 days
  Ambient  7 days

Reference Values

 

Total carnitine (TC)

Free carnitine (FC)

Acylcarnitine (AC)

AC/FC Ratio

Age Group

Range*

Range*

Range*

Range

≤1 day

23-68

12-36

7-37

0.4-1.7

2-7 days

17-41

10-21

3-24

0.2-1.4

8-31 days

19-59

12-46

4-15

0.1-0.7

32 days-12 months

38-68

27-49

7-19

0.2-0.5

13 months-6 years

35-84

24-63

4-28

0.1-0.8

7-10 years

28-83

22-66

3-32

0.1-0.9

11-17 years

34-77

22-65

4-29

0.1-0.9

≥18 years

34-78

25-54

5-30

0.1-0.8

 

*Values expressed as nmol/mL

Schmidt-Sommerfeld E, Werner E, Penn D: Carnitine plasma concentrations in 353 metabolically healthy children. Eur J Pediatr. 1988;147:356-360

Used with permission of European Journal of Pediatrics.

Day(s) Performed

Monday through Friday

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

CPT Code Information

82379

LOINC Code Information

Test ID Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
CARN Carnitine, P 97182-0

 

Result ID Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
32050 Total 14288-5
32051 Free (FC) 14286-9
32052 Acylcarnitine (AC) 14282-8
21032 AC/FC Ratio 30193-7
21549 Interpretation 59462-2

Test Classification

This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. It has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Report Available

3 to 5 days

NY State Approved

Yes