title: Measurement of plasma uroporphyrin during treatment and long-term follow-up of patients with Porphyria cutanea tarda.
abstract: .1 ml plasma was precipitated and extracted with 3 ml 0.61 mol/l trichloroacetic acid. After centrifugation the fluorescence intensity of the supernatant was measured using uroporphyrin as a standard. The porphyrins with a higher number of carboxylic groups (uroporphyrin and heptacarboxyporphyrin) were effectively extracted and the others, poorly or very poorly. Thus, the determined parameter was a mixture of chiefly highly carboxylated porphyrins. The results were expressed in nmol uroporphyrin/l. The coefficient of variation was 4%. No quenching of the fluorescence was established in higher plasma porphyrin concentrations. The range of the control group (n = 33) was 0-1.4 nmol/l. The data of the patients, needing treatment were within the interval of 17.9-448 nmol/l (n = 17). The correlation coefficient with the urinary uroporphyrin was 0.97. The values in the cases with remission (n = 74) ranged from 0 to 12.8 nmol/l. The method is particularly convenient for monitoring the effect of treatment in patients with Porphyria cutanea tarda, as well as for their long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Adjarov
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kerimova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000097:blood*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D014578:Uroporphyrins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011166:Porphyrins; D014578:Uroporphyrins