Amino Acids Analysis
Urine
Performed by: Genova Diagnostics
Amino acid nutritional testing aids in the identification of the following:
- dietary protein adequacy
- amino acid balance
- gastrointestinal dysfunctions
- forms of protein intolerance
- vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- renal and hepatic dysfunction
- psychiatric abnormalities
- susceptibility to inflammatory response and oxidative stress
- reduced detoxification capacity
... and many other inherent and acquired disorders in amino acid metabolism.
Plasma vs. Urine Analysis:
Plasma is traditionally used to assess the status of essential amino acids while urine analysis provides more information regarding admino acid wasting and aberrant metabolism associated with co-factor insufficiencies.
Plasma amino acid nutritional testing measures what is being transported at the time of sampling. The specimen should be collected after an overnight fast to reduce the influence of dietary protein. Abnormalities are deduced by comparison of measured levels with an established reference range.
The 24-hour urine amino acid analysis has the highest probability of detecting abnormalities if renal function is normal. The 24-hour test indicates what is high and low over the course of a day, reflects blood and tissue amino acid pools, and is not affected by circadian rhythm. Healthy kidneys efficiently conserve essential amino acids. Therefore, urine levels of amino acids decrease first and tend to give an earlier indication of inadequacy than do plasma levels.
A first morning void urine (FMV) amino acid analysis, with results normalized per gram creatinine, provides an alternative when a complete 24-hour collection is not a viable option. The FMV analysis is excellent for identification of marked abnormalities, particularly with respect to gastrointestinal health, inherited disorders in amino acid metabolism and renal function, and can be used for protein challenge testing.
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Biomarkers included in this panel:
It is a component of the dietary peptide anserine. Anserine is beta-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine, and it is known to come from chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, tuna and salmon.
Learn more3-Methylhistidine is an amino acid which is excreted in human urine. The measurement of 3-methylhistidine provides an index of the rate of muscle protein breakdown. 3-Methylhistidine is a biomarker for meat consumption, especially chicken. It is a
Learn moreAlpha-Amino-n-butyric acid (A-ANB/α-Amino-N-butyric acid) is an intermediate occurring in the catabolism of two essential amino acids, methionine, and threonine.
Learn moreAlpha-aminoadipic acid (a-Aminoadipic acid) is an intermediary metabolite of lysine (primarily) and tryptophan.
Learn moreAlanine is a non-essential amino acid and helps the body convert the simple sugar glucose into energy and eliminate excess toxins from the liver.
Learn moreAnserine is part of a group of Beta-Amino Acids and Derivatives. Anserine is beta-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine, and it is known to come from chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, tuna and salmon.
Learn moreArginine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is critical for your cardiovascular health and detoxification functions. The amino acid, arginine, is used to make the powerful blood vessel regulator, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide acts to lower blo
Learn moreAsparagine is a protein amino acid. It is non-essential in humans, meaning the body can synthesize it. Asparagine is synthesized from aspartate and glutamine. Asparagine has three major functions: incorporation into amino acid sequences o
Learn moreAspartic acid is a nonessential protein amino acid. Aspartic Acid, also known as aspartate, is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brainstem and spinal cord. Aspartic acid is the excitatory counterpart to glycine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Learn moreBeta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid. What are amino acids? The body can make Non-essential amino acids, so they don’t have to be provided by food. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
Learn moreBeta-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
Learn moreCarnosine is a dietary peptide related marker that consists of histidine and beta-alanine. Carnosine is an incompletely digested peptide that is derived primarily from beef and pork.
Learn moreThe amino acid citrulline gets its name from its high concentration in the watermelon Citrullus vulgaris. In human kidneys, citrulline and aspartic acid are united by argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) to produce arginosuccinate. The degrad
Learn moreCystathionine is an intermediary metabolite that is formed in the sequential enzymatic conversion of methionine (essential amino acid) to cysteine.
Learn moreCysteine (FMV Urine) is part of a group of markers that indicates the balance and sufficiency of the methylation/sulfation pathway substrates and co-factors.
Learn moreCystine is the oxidized disulfide form of cysteine (Cys) and is the predominant form of cysteine in the blood due to its greater relative stability. Cystine is derived from dietary protein and, end formed endogenously from cysteine.
Learn moreEthanolamine is a metabolite of the nonessential amino acid serine. In the presence of adequate levels of functional B-6 (P-5-P) serine is enzymatically converted to ethanolamine.
Learn moreGABA is a neurotransmitter that inhibits nervous system activity, producing a relaxation effect.
Learn moreGlutamic acid (or Glutamate) is a major mediator of excitatory signals in the brain and is involved in most aspects of normal brain function including cognition, memory and learning.
Learn moreGlutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and is an important source of energy for many tissues in the body. It is derived from the amino acids histidine and glutamic acid. Glutamine improves immune function, balances
Learn moreGlycine is an amino acid with various important functions within your body, including detoxification, DNA formation, the synthesis of hemoglobin, and as a part of brain neurotransmission pathways. Glycine and serine are interchangeable.
Learn moreHistidine is the amino acid most necessary during stress. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein in our bodies. Histidine ameliorates fatigue, promotes clear thinking and concentration, reduces appetite, decreases anxiety, improves sleep a
Learn moreIsoleucine is one of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) alongside both leucine and valine. Isoleucine is a common component of proteins, peptides and hormones. Leucine is catabolized as a source of carbon for ene
Learn moreLeucine, together with isoleucine and valine, are essential amino acids that are referred to as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Leucine is nutritionally essential and is required for formation of body proteins, enzymes and
Learn moreLysine is found in great quantities in muscle tissues, stimulates calcium absorption, carnitine synthesis, and growth and repair of muscle tissue.
Learn moreMethionine is an essential amino acid, meaning we need to get it from our diet as our body does not produce it. Methionine is a unique sulfur-containing amino acid that can be used to build proteins and produce many molecules in the body.
Learn moreOrnithine is a urea cycle metabolite. Ornithine can stimulate the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone is necessary for tissue repair and growth. Growth hormone is often low in patients with fibromyalgia.
Learn morePhenylalanine is a precursor for the amino acid tyrosine, which is essential for making neurotransmitters (e.g. epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine) and thyroid hormone. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that communicate
Learn morePhosphoethanolamine together with Ethanolamine and Phosphoserine are amino acids that are closely related structurally and they share principal roles in phospholipid metabolism. Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are important component
Learn morePhosphoserine is a product of glycolysis and is formed by amino group transfer from glutamic acid to phosphohydroxypyruvic acid.
Learn moreProline is a nonessential amino acid, which means that it is manufactured from other amino acids in the liver; it does not have to be obtained directly through the diet. Proline is the precursor to hydroxyproline, which is a major amino acid
Learn moreSarcosine is also known as N-methylglycine. It is an intermediate and byproduct in the glycine synthesis and degradation. Sarcosine is metabolized to glycine by the enzyme sarcosine dehydrogenase, while glycine-N-methyl transferase generate
Learn moreSerine can be used as an energy source. Formed from threonine and phosphoserine (requiring B6, manganese, and magnesium), serine is necessary for the biosynthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter used in memory function.
Learn moreTaurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid required for bile formation.
Learn moreThreonine 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.
Learn moreTryptophan is an essential amino acid required for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Learn moreTyrosin is the non-essential amino acid precursor for dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Tyrosine hydroxylase converts tyrosine into the dopamine precursor L-DOPA; BH4, Vitamin D and iron are cofactors for that enzymatic activity.
Learn moreUrea is the principal nitrogenous waste product of metabolism and is generated from protein breakdown.
Learn moreValine, together with Isoleucine and Leucine are essential amino acids and are collectively referred to as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
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