Special chemistry

A serotonin metabolite & tumor marker used in the diagnosis & monitoring of carcinoid tumors.

Diagnose & monitor patients with monoclonal gammopathies e.g. multiple myeloma. Kappa and lambda light chains and their ratio are determined with abnormal rations indicating clonal plasma cell proliferation.

Monitoring treatment response, disease progression & assessing recurrence in breast cancer. Levels may also be elevated in other cancers e.g. pancreatic, lung, endometrial, ovarian, cervical, colon, liver etc.

Assessment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA), anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron overload states.

Diagnosis and evaluation of hypophosphatasia.

Confirmation of true testosterone status in patients with actual or suspected abnormal SHBG levels (abnormal SHBG levels may occur in a variety of situations e.g. obesity, thyroid disease, liver disease, with some drugs etc.). Evaluation of suspected male hypogonadism (low libido, erectile dysfunction, etc.). As a follow up test for abnormal semenalysis results (e.g. azoospermia, oligospermia). Assessment of infertility, precocious male puberty, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea. Evaluation of virilization in females [e.g. from PCOS, androgen secreting ovarian or pituitary tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia etc.). Evaluation of ambiguous genitalia and disorders of sex development (DSDs)].

Diagnose and monitor female gonadal function. An endocrine marker to assess ovarian reserve.

Assessment of infertility, abnormal uterine bleeding, confirm ovulation (levels peak in luteal phase), corpus luteum insufficiency, placental health in pregnancy.

Assessment of male & female (in)fertility, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, menstrual irregularity, menopause, hypothalamic & pituitary disorders, precocious or delayed puberty.

Tumor marker for medullary thyroid cancer (C cell carcinoma).