Urinary Porphyrin Profile

• Suspected metal toxicity.
• Autism.

Name of Lab	Lab Code	Estimated Cost	Processing Time	Comments
Great Plains		$109		Cash discount and some insurance

Costs cited are subject to change and may be reduced by insurance or cash discounts and increased by sample collection fees.

Younger children, in general, have much higher porphyrin values than older children [Shaw2008].

A small percentage (2.8 %) of patients on the autistic spectrum screened by The Great Plains Laboratory showed abnormal porphyrin results. The chelation challenge test is probably a more effective way to screen for heavy metal toxicity [Shaw2008].

Uroporphyrins (UP)

• High levels have been associated with As and Pb exposure [GP2008], [Fowler1978  🕮 ]
• High levels have been associated with Porphyria cutanea tarda [GP2008], [Doss2000  🕮 ]
• High levels are associated with acute intermittent porphyria and porphyria variegate [GP2008], [Doss2000  🕮 ], [Elder1972  🕮 ]

Heptacarboxyporphyrin (7-CP)

• High levels have been associated with Porphyria cutanea tarda [GP2008], [Doss2000  🕮 ]

Hexacarboxyporphyrin (6-CP)

• High levels have been found in Autistic children [GP2008], [Nataf2006  🕮 ]

Pentacarboxyporphyrin (5-CP)

• High levels have been found in Autistic children [GP2008], [Nataf2006  🕮 ]
• High levels have been associated with Hg exposure [GP2008], [Woods1991  🕮 ], [Woods1993  🕮 ], [Woods1996  🕮 ]
• High levels are suggestive of Aluminum exposure [GP2008], [Nasiadek2001  🕮 ]

Precoproporphyrin (PreCP)

• High levels have been found in Autistic children [GP2008], [Nataf2006  🕮 ]
• High levels have been associated with Hg exposure [GP2008], [Woods1991  🕮 ], [Woods1993  🕮 ], [Woods1996  🕮 ]
• According to Doctor's Data, "precoproporphyrin ... elutes after pentacarboxyporphyrin and before coproporphyrins I. [It] has yet to be characterized ... [but] appears to be elevated in Hg-exposed individuals."

Coproporphyrins I, III (CP)

• High levels have been found in Autistic children [GP2008] [Nataf2006  🕮 ]
• High levels have been associated with Hg exposure [GP2008], [Woods1991  🕮 ], [Woods1993  🕮 ], [Woods1996  🕮 ]
• High levels have been associated with As and Pb exposure [GP2008], [Fowler1978  🕮 ]
• High levels are associated with acute intermittent porphyria and porphyria variegate [GP2008], [Doss2000  🕮 ], [Elder1972  🕮 ]

Creatinine

Precoproporphyrins

• Not included in Great Plains Laboratory test results, these are thought to be spurious [Shaw2008].