Order Code PKUSC Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, Self-Collect, Blood Spot
Ordering Guidance
For follow-up of an abnormal newborn screen for potential phenylketonuria, order PKU / Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, Plasma
Necessary Information
1. Patient's age is required.
2. Patient's street address, city, state, ZIP (postal) code, country, and home phone are required (post-office [PO] boxes are not acceptable delivery locations).
Specimen Required
Supplies: Blood Spot Collection-Self Collect (T858)
Container/Tube: Blood Spot Self Collection Card
Specimen Volume: 2 Blood spots
Additional Information:
1. Order test each time the patient is to collect a dried blood specimen at home and mail the specimen directly to Mayo Clinic Laboratories.
2. Order should be placed a minimum of 3 days prior to desired date of collection.
3. Enter patient's address information for each order created, including street address (post office [PO] boxes are not acceptable delivery locations), city, state abbreviation, zip code, country, and home phone number.
4. For each order, the Blood Spot Collection-Self Collect kit will be mailed directly to the patient for self-collection (delivery to a PO box will not occur).
5. For more information on how to collect blood spots, see the following:
-How to Collect Dried Blood Spot Samples via fingerstick.
-Blood Spot Collection Instructions-Fingerstick
-Blood Spot Collection Instructions-Fingerstick-Spanish
Useful For
Monitoring effectiveness of therapy in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia in a patient-collected specimen
This test is not sufficient for follow-up for abnormal newborn screening results or for establishing a diagnosis of a specific cause of hyperphenylalaninemia.
Genetics Test Information
This test is intended for monitoring effectiveness of therapy for patients with hyperphenylalaninemia.
This test does not provide sufficient follow-up for abnormal newborn screening results because other causes of hyperphenylalaninemia (eg, tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency) cannot be excluded by this test alone.
Method Name
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
Reporting Name
Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, SC, BSSpecimen Type
Whole bloodSpecimen Minimum Volume
1 Blood spot
Specimen Stability Information
Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
---|---|---|---|
Whole blood | Ambient (preferred) | 90 days | FILTER PAPER |
Frozen | 90 days | FILTER PAPER | |
Refrigerated | 90 days | FILTER PAPER |
Reject Due To
Blood spot specimen that shows serum rings or has multiple layers | Reject |
Insufficient specimen | Reject |
Unapproved filter papers | Reject |
Reference Values
PHENYLALANINE:
27-107 nmol/mL
TYROSINE
<4 weeks: 40-280 nmol/mL
≥4 weeks: 25-150 nmol/mL
Method Description
A 3-mm disk is punched out of the dried blood spot onto a 96-well plate. The amino acids are extracted by the addition of acetonitrile and known concentrations of isotopically labeled amino acids as internal standards. The extract is moved to another 96-well plate, dried under a stream of nitrogen, and derivatized by the addition of n-butanol hydrochloric acid. Analytes are measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The concentrations of the phenylalanine and tyrosine are established by computerized comparison of ion intensities of these analytes to that of the respective internal standards.(Unpublished Mayo method)
Performing Laboratory

CPT Code Information
0382U
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Friday
Forms
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Biochemical Genetics Test Request (T798) with the specimen.