Amino Acid Profile, Qn (Urine)

Urine

Performed by: LabCorp

Biomarkers included in this panel:

1-Methyl-Histidine, Urine

Urine

1-Methyl-Histidine is a compound found in urine that is measured as part of an Amino Acid Profile, Quantitative (Qn) test. This marker is particularly important because it can provide valuable insights into muscle metabolism and dietary protein intak

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Alanine

Alanine is a nonessential amino acid. It is the second most abundant amino acid in circulation, after glutamine. It is found in many foods including eggs, meat, lentils, and fish. Alanine is involved in sugar metabolism for energy and is important in

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Alloisoleucine

Allo-isoleucine is nearly undetectable in individuals not affected by maple-syrup urine disease (MSUD). Accordingly, its presence is diagnostic for MSUD, and its absence is sufficient to rule-out MSUD.

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Alpha-aminoadipate

Alpha-aminoadipic acid (a-Aminoadipic acid) is an intermediary metabolite of lysine (primarily) and of tryptophan.

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Alpha-aminobutyrate

Alpha amniobutyric acid (AABA), also known as Alpha-amino-N-butyric acid (A-ANB), is an intermediate formed during the catabolism of methionine and threonine. Increases in AABA occur secondary to elevations of either methionine or threonine. AABA bec

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Anserine, Urine

Urine

Anserine is a dipeptide, a small molecule composed of two amino acids, specifically beta-alanine and histidine. It is commonly found in the skeletal muscles and brain of mammals and is particularly abundant in poultry and fish. The presence and conce

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Arginine

Arginine is found in all protein foods and is very abundant in seeds and nuts. It is considered a semi-essential amino acid during early development, infection/inflammation, or renal and/or intestinal impairment. It has many functions in the body inc

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Argininosuccinate

Argininosuccinate (aka Arginosuccinic acid) is a basic amino acid. Some cells synthesize it from citrulline, aspartic acid and use it as a precursor for arginine in the urea cycle or Citrulline-NO cycle. The enzyme that catalyzes the reaction is argi

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Asparagine

Asparagine is a non-essential protein amino acid that is present in many fruits and vegetables including asparagus, from which it gets its name. Other dietary sources include meat, potatoes, eggs, nuts, and dairy. It can also be formed from aspartic

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Aspartate

Aspartic acid is a nonessential amino acid that plays roles in many important metabolic processes, such as energy production (citric acid cycle), hormone metabolism, CNS activation, and the urea cycle. It is found in many protein sources such as oyst

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Beta-alanine

β-alanine is a breakdown product of carnosine and anserine, which are dipeptides from meat consumption. Although β-alanine’s properties are limited, its relationship to carnosine makes it important. Both have antioxidant properties. A

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Beta-aminoisobutyrate

Beta-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIB) is an amino acid end product of the pyrimidine metabolism. It is excreted in small quantities into the urine in almost all human beings. Thymine, released when RNA and DNA are degraded, enters a catabolic pathway that

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Carnosine, Urine

Urine

Carnosine is a dipeptide molecule composed of the amino acids beta-alanine and histidine, and it is found primarily in muscle and brain tissues. When measured in urine, carnosine levels can provide valuable insights into an individual's muscle me

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Citrulline

Citrulline is an intermediate, nonprotein-forming amino acid in the urea cycle serving as a precursor to arginine. It derives its name from the watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris), where it was first isolated and identified. It is easily absorbed by t

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Cystathionine

Cystathionine is an intermediate dipeptide within the process of transsulfuration. Transsulfuration is the main route for irreversible homocysteine disposal, glutathione production, and energy. The initial step involves the enzyme cystathionine &b

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Cystine

Cystine is formed from the oxidation of cysteine, or from the degradation of glutathione oxidation products. It is two cysteines linked together with a disulfide bond.

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Gamma-aminobutyrate

Gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the CNS and, as such, is important for balancing excitatory action of other neurotransmitters.

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Glutamate

Glutamate is a vital neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, involved in almost all significant excitatory brain functions. It is the primary and most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter, and it's estimated that over half of all neural s

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Glutamine

Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid and is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It is formed from glutamate using the enzyme glutamine synthetase. Approximately 80% of glutamine is found in the skeletal muscle, and this concentration is 30

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Glycine

Glycine is a nonessential amino acid that is synthesized from choline, serine, hydroxyproline, and threonine. It has many important physiologic functions. It is one of three amino acids that make up glutathione. Glycine’s dietary sources inc

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Histidine

Histidine is a semi-essential amino acid which is formed in the breakdown of carnosine. Red meat is a common source of carnosine, and therefore histadine.  Other food sources include poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, and grains. Histidine and hista

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Homocitrulline

The amino acid homocitrulline is a metabolite of ornithine in human metabolism. The amino acid can be detected in larger amounts in the urine of individuals with urea cycle disorders. Both amino acids can be detected in urine. Amino acid anal

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Homocystine

Urine

Homocystine is the oxidized form of homocysteine. A substance is oxidized when it undergoes the process of oxidation. I.e the addition of oxygen or any electronegative elements or the removal of hydrogen or any electropositive element. Homocy

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Hydroxylysine

Hydroxylysine is an amino acid related to collagen. What is collagen? Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It is the major component of connective tissues that make up several body parts, including tendons, ligamen

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Hydroxyproline

- Hydroxyproline is the key factor in stabilizing collagens. - Hydroxyproline is abundant in meat and low in plant-based foods. Meat intake increases levels of proline and hydroxyproline. - Increased hydroxyproline has been found in collagen ca

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Isoleucine

Branched Chain Amino Acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Valine) are the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). Branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids and must be obtained from the diet (mainly meat, grains, and dairy).  No

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Leucine

Branched Chain Amino Acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Valine) are the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). Branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids and must be obtained from the diet (mainly meat, grains, and dairy).

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Lysine

Lysine is a nutritionally essential amino acid abundant in meat, fish, fowl, and legumes and is needed for formation of body proteins and enzymes. Lysine can be methylated using S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to synthesize carnitine, which is needed f

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Methionine

Methionine is an essential amino acid that plays an important role in the methylation cycle. Methionine is obtained from dietary intake or through homocysteine remethylation. Methionine’s dietary sources include eggs, fish, meats, Brazil nuts,

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Ornithine

Ornithine is an intermediate nonprotein-forming amino acid of the urea cycle. Arginine is converted to ornithine via the arginase enzyme, with urea as a byproduct. Ornithine combined with carbamoyl phosphate is then converted into citrulline via t

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P-Ethanolamine, Urine

Urine

P-Ethanolamine stands for Phosphoethanolamine. Phosphoethanolamine is a compound involved in the metabolism of phospholipids, which are essential components of cell membranes. Elevated levels of phosphoethanolamine in urine can indicate metabolic dis

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Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in most foods which contain protein such as meat, fish, lentils, vegetables, and dairy.  Phenylalanine is the precursor to another amino acid, tyrosine. Because tyrosine is needed to form several

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Proline

Proline is a nonessential amino acid. It contains a secondary α-imino group and is sometimes called an α-imino acid. Proline, and its metabolite hydroxyproline, constitute a third of the total amino acids found in collagen. Lysine, pro

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Sarcosine

Sarcosine is an amino acid made within the methylation cycle when S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is conjugated with glycine. It can also be made by catabolism of dimethylglycine (DMG). There are many dietary sources of sarcosine including eggs, legume

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Serine

Serine is a nonessential amino acid used in protein biosynthesis and can be derived from four possible sources: dietary intake, degradation of protein and phospholipids, biosynthesis from glycolysis intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate, or from glycine.

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Taurine

Taurine differs from other amino acids because a sulfur group replaces the carboxyl group of what would be the nonessential amino acid, β-alanine. It takes part in biochemical reactions and is not fully incorporated into proteins. In most tissue

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Threonine

Threonine is an essential amino acid, i.e., it is vital for your health, but it cannot be synthesized by your body and therefore has to be obtained from a diet.

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Tryptophan

Tryptophan is involved in serotonin production via vitamin B6-dependent pathways resulting in the intermediate 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). 5-HTP is often used as a supplement for serotonin formation instead of tryptophan, which can be quickly metabo

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Tyrosine

Tyrosine is a conditionally essential amino acid which can come directly from the digestion of dietary protein. Common food sources include dairy, beans, whole grains, meat, and nuts. If intake is insufficient, tyrosine can be formed from the e

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Valine

Branched Chain Amino Acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Valine) Isoleucine, leucine and valine are the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). Branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids and must be obtained from the diet (mainly meat, gra

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