Biomaterial Database

Quantitation of urinary porphyrins by use of second-derivative spectroscopy. 1979

K G Jones, and G D Sweeney

We describe a simple, rapid procedure for measuring porphyrins in urine. After acidification of a urine specimen with hydrochloric acid, the second derivative of the absorption spectrum is recorded in the region of the Soret band maximum. The amplitude of the deflection is linearly related to porphyrin concentration, and the point at which the second derivative minimum occurs provides an estimate of the ratio of uroporphyrin to coproporphyrin in the sample. Nonspecific interference is not significant and reproducibility is excellent. Porphyrin excretion was studied in 24-h urine collections from men and non-pregnant as well as pregnant women. Median daily porphyrin excretion (nmol) was: men, 65.0; non-pregnant women, 60.1; and third-trimester pregnant women, 175.0. Distribution of these data was significantly skewed; upper and lower 2.5 percentile limits are given.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011164	Porphyrias	A diverse group of metabolic diseases characterized by errors in the biosynthetic pathway of HEME in the LIVER, the BONE MARROW, or both. They are classified by the deficiency of specific enzymes, the tissue site of enzyme defect, or the clinical features that include neurological (acute) or cutaneous (skin lesions). Porphyrias can be hereditary or acquired as a result of toxicity to the hepatic or erythropoietic marrow tissues.	Porphyria,Porphyrin Disorder,Disorder, Porphyrin,Disorders, Porphyrin,Porphyrin Disorders
D011166	Porphyrins	A group of compounds containing the porphin structure, four pyrrole rings connected by methine bridges in a cyclic configuration to which a variety of side chains are attached. The nature of the side chain is indicated by a prefix, as uroporphyrin, hematoporphyrin, etc. The porphyrins, in combination with iron, form the heme component in biologically significant compounds such as hemoglobin and myoglobin.	Porphyrin
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013053	Spectrophotometry	The art or process of comparing photometrically the relative intensities of the light in different parts of the spectrum.