Hydroxy-Indoleacetic Acid, Quantitative Urine

Synonyms: 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid, 5-HIAA, HIAA, 5-OH-Indoleacetic acid, Serotonin metabolite.

Hermann Test Code: 80 -80005 = 5-HIAA, Quantitative.

CPT Code(s): 83497 = 5-Hydroxy-indoleacetic acid, quantitative urine.

Specimen Requirement:

Container: Hermann Hospital - Urine collection stored in 24 hr urine container with 50 ml of 50 % acetic acid, refrigerate during collection.
Outpatient - 24 hour Urine container with 50 ml of 50 % acetic acid, have patient collect urine in urine cup and pour into container, store refrigerated or on ice, measure total volume, record volume on requisition and transport vial, mix and pour off 50 ml into plastic vial.

Transport: Keep cool.

Patient Preparation:

• Patient should not eat ; avocadoes, bananas, eggplant, pineapples, plums, tomatoes and walnuts 48 hrs before test.
• Patient should not take cough syrup with glyceryl guaiacolate, naprophen, naproxen or anaprox for 48 hrs before test.

Test Availability: Test performed Mon. - Sat. Results available in 1 day.

Methodology: High performance chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Clinical Utilization:

Detection for the presence of metastatic carcinoid or evaluation of flushing attacks in the patient.

Reference Range(s): See report for ranges.

Interpretation:

Serotonin (5-hydroxy-tryptamine) is rapidly metabolized to 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid

Increase - Midgut, foregut and ovarian carcinoid tumors, celiac sprue, tropical sprue, Whipple's disease, oat cell carcinoma of the bronchus and bronchial adenoma of the oat cell type.

Decrease - Depressive illness, small intestinal resection, mastocytosis, phenylketonuria (PKU) and Hartnup disease.

Interfering Substances:
Increase - Foods (see above list), atenolol, fluorouracil, malphalan, pindolol, alkaloids.
Decrease - Corticotropin, ethanol, imipramine, isoniazid, levodopa, methyldopa and monoamineoxidase (MAO) inhibitors.

Sensitivity & Specificity:None Listed.

Literature:
Bakerman, S., ABC's of Interpretative Laboratory Data, 2nd ed. Interpretative Laboratory Data Inc, Greenville N.C. 1984.

Tietz, N.W., Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, 2nd ed. W.B. Saunders Co. Philadelphia Pa. 1990.

Return to Top of page.