Blood Porphyrins Analysis - Blood Porphyrins Test

A qualitative and quantitative analysis measures the levels of porphyrins and their precursor compounds (such as porphobilinogen PBG and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)) in plasma or serum. Porphyrins are intermediate compounds in the heme synthesis pathway (iron being a component of hemoglobin). Elevated levels of certain types of porphyrins indicate a disorder in this pathway, aiding in the diagnosis and classification of different types of porphyria, particularly acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) and porphyria cutanea tarda (Porphyria cutanea tarda).