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TEST ID CARNS Carnitine, Serum

Reporting Name

Carnitine, S

Specimen Type

Serum


Necessary Information


Patient's age is required.



Specimen Required


Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)

Collection Container/Tube:

Preferred: Red top

Acceptable: Serum gel

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial.


Specimen Minimum Volume

0.2 mL

Specimen Stability Information

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

Method Name

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

Reject Due To

Gross hemolysis OK
Gross lipemia OK
Gross icterus OK

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

Report Available

3 to 5 days

Specimen Retention Time

1 month

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

CPT Code Information

82379

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 serum 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.