Test Id : UCDP

For skin biopsy and cultured fibroblast specimens, fibroblast culture will be added at an additional charge. If viable cells are not obtained, the client will be notified.

The recommended first-tier biochemical tests to screen for urea cycle disorders are a combination of quantitative plasma amino acids and urinary orotic acid. Order AAQP/ Amino Acids, Quantitative, Plasma and OROT/ Orotic Acid, Random, Urine.

Customization of this panel and single gene analysis for any gene present on this panel is available. For more information see CGPH / Custom Gene Panel, Hereditary, Next-Generation Sequencing, Varies.

Specimen preferred to arrive within 96 hours of collection.

Patient Preparation: A previous bone marrow transplant from an allogenic donor will interfere with testing. Call 800-533-1710 for instructions for testing patients who have received a bone marrow transplant.

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Lavender top (EDTA) or yellow top (ACD)

Acceptable: Any anticoagulant

Specimen Volume: 3 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Invert several times to mix blood.

2. Send whole blood specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) 4 days/Refrigerated 14 days

Specimen Type: Skin biopsy

Supplies: Fibroblast Biopsy Transport Media (T115)

Container/Tube: Sterile container with any standard cell culture media (eg, minimal essential media, RPMI 1640). The solution should be supplemented with 1% penicillin and streptomycin (Eagle's minimum essential medium with 1% penicillin and streptomycin).

Specimen Volume: 4-mm punch

Specimen Stability Information: Refrigerated (preferred)/Ambient

Additional Information: A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULFB / Fibroblast Culture for Biochemical or Molecular Testing. An additional 3 to 4 weeks is required to culture fibroblasts before genetic testing can occur.

Specimen Type: Cultured fibroblast

Container/Tube: T-25 flask

Specimen Volume: 2 Flasks

Collection Instructions: Submit confluent cultured fibroblast cells from a skin biopsy from another laboratory. Cultured cells from a prenatal specimen will not be accepted.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred)/Refrigerated (<24 hours)

Additional Information: A separate culture charge will be assessed under CULFB / Fibroblast Culture for Biochemical or Molecular Testing. An additional 3 to 4 weeks is required to culture fibroblasts before genetic testing can occur.

Specimen Type: Blood spot

Supplies: Card-Blood Spot Collection (Filter Paper) (T493)

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Collection card (Whatman Protein Saver 903 Paper)

Acceptable: PerkinElmer 226 (formerly Ahlstrom 226) filter paper, or blood spot collection card

Specimen Volume: 5 Blood spots

Collection Instructions:

1. An alternative blood collection option for a patient 1 year of age and older is a fingerstick. See Dried Blood Spot Collection Tutorial for how to collect blood spots via fingerstick.

2. Let blood dry on the filter paper at ambient temperature in a horizontal position for a minimum of 3 hours.

3. Do not expose specimen to heat or direct sunlight.

4. Do not stack wet specimens.

5. Keep specimen dry.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred)/Refrigerated

Additional Information:

1. Due to lower concentration of DNA yielded from blood spot, it is possible that additional specimen may be required to complete testing.

2. For collection instructions, see Blood Spot Collection Instructions.

3. For collection instructions in Spanish, see Blood Spot Collection Card-Spanish Instructions (T777).

4. For collection instructions in Chinese, see Blood Spot Collection Card-Chinese Instructions (T800).

Specimen Type: Saliva

Patient Preparation: Patient should not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum 30 minutes prior to collection.

Supplies: Saliva Swab Collection Kit (T786)

Specimen Volume: 1 Swab

Collection Instructions: Collect and send specimen per kit instructions.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient 30 days

Additional Information: Due to lower concentration of DNA yielded from saliva, it is possible that additional specimen may be required to complete testing.

• Molecular Genetics: Biochemical Disorders Patient Information
• Informed Consent for Genetic Testing
• Blood Spot Collection Card-Spanish Instructions
• Blood Spot Collection Card-Chinese Instructions
• Informed Consent for Genetic Testing (Spanish)
• Blood Spot Collection Instructions
• Targeted Genes and Methodology Details for Urea Cycle Disorders Gene Panel

1. New York Clients-Informed consent is required. Document on the request form or electronic order that a copy is on file. The following documents are available:

-Informed Consent for Genetic Testing (T576)

-Informed Consent for Genetic Testing (Spanish) (T826)

2. Molecular Genetics: Biochemical Disorders Patient Information  (T527)

See Specimen Required

Follow up for abnormal biochemical results suggestive of a urea cycle disorder (UCD)

Establishing a molecular diagnosis for patients with a UCD

Identifying variants within genes known to be associated with UCD, allowing for predictive testing of at-risk family members

This test utilizes next-generation sequencing to detect single nucleotide and copy number variants in 16 genes associated with urea cycle disorders (UCD). This test includes next-generation sequencing to test for variants in the genes indicated: ALDH18A1, ARG1, ARG2, ASL, ASS1, CA5A, CPS1, GLUD1, GLUL, NAGS, OAT, OTC, SLC25A13, SLC25A15, SLC7A7, and UMPS. See Targeted Genes and Methodology Details for Urea Cycle Disorders Gene Panel and Method Description for additional details.

Identification of a disease-causing variant may assist with diagnosis, prognosis, clinical management, familial screening, and genetic counseling for UCD.

For skin biopsy and cultured fibroblast specimens, fibroblast culture will be added at an additional charge. If viable cells are not obtained, the client will be notified.

Urea cycle disorders (UCD) are a group of inherited disorders of nitrogen detoxification that result when any of the enzymes in the urea cycle have reduced or absent activity. These disorders include carbamoylphosphate synthetase I deficiency, ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, argininosuccinic acid synthetase deficiency (citrullinemia), argininosuccinic acid lyase deficiency (argininosuccinic aciduria), arginase deficiency, the cofactor producer, N-acetyl glutamate synthetase (NAGS) deficiency, and two amino acid transporters, ornithine translocase deficiency (hyperornithinemia, hyperammonemia, homocitrullinuria syndrome) and citrin deficiency. The role of the urea cycle is to metabolize and clear waste nitrogen, and defects in any of the steps of the pathway can result in an accumulation of toxic ammonia in the nervous system. The urea cycle is also responsible for endogenous production of the amino acids citrulline, ornithine, and arginine.

Infants with a complete urea cycle enzyme deficiency typically appear normal at birth, but they present in the neonatal period with lethargy, seizures, hyper- or hypoventilation, and ultimately coma or death, as a result of elevated ammonia levels. Individuals with partial enzyme deficiency may present later in life, typically following an acute illness or other catabolic stressor. Symptoms may be less severe and may appear as episodes of psychosis, lethargy, cyclical vomiting, and behavioral abnormalities. Patients with impaired ornithine metabolism due to ornithine aminotransferase deficiency may present with childhood onset myopia progressing to vision loss in the 4th to 6th decades of life. Patients may or may not have accompanying hyperammonemia but display marked elevations in plasma ornithine.

All the UCD are inherited as autosomal recessive disorders, with the exception of OTC deficiency, which is X-linked. UCD may be suspected with elevated ammonia, normal anion gap, and a normal glucose.

This comprehensive gene panel is a helpful tool to establish a diagnosis for patients with suggestive clinical and biochemical features given the broad clinical spectrum and genetic heterogeneity of UCD. Molecular genetic testing can help to distinguish among the conditions and allows for diagnostic confirmation.

A combination of biochemical tests including quantitative plasma amino acids (AAQP / Amino Acids, Quantitative, Plasma) and urinary orotic acid (OROT / Orotic Acid, Random, Urine) are recommended as the first-tier test to assess patients for UCD.

Acute treatment for UCD consists of dialysis and administration of nitrogen scavenger drugs to reduce ammonia concentration. Chronic management typically involves restriction of dietary protein with essential amino acid supplementation. More recently, liver transplantation has been used with success in treating some patients.

An interpretive report will be provided.

All detected alterations are evaluated according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recommendations.(1) Variants are classified based on known, predicted, or possible pathogenicity and reported with interpretive comments detailing their potential or known significance.

Clinical Correlations:

Test results should be interpreted in the context of clinical findings, family history, and other laboratory data. Misinterpretation of results may occur if the information provided is inaccurate or incomplete.

If testing was performed because of a clinically significant family history, it is often useful to first test an affected family member. Detection of at least one reportable variant in an affected family member would allow for more informative testing of at-risk individuals.

To discuss the availability of additional testing options or for assistance in the interpretation of these results, contact the Mayo Clinic Laboratories genetic counselors at 1-800-533-1710.

Technical Limitations:

Next-generation sequencing may not detect all types of genomic variants. In rare cases, false-negative or false-positive results may occur. The depth of coverage may be variable for some target regions; assay performance below the minimum acceptable criteria or for failed regions will be noted. Given these limitations, negative results do not rule out the diagnosis of a genetic disorder. If a specific clinical disorder is suspected, evaluation by alternative methods can be considered.

There may be regions of genes that cannot be effectively evaluated by sequencing or deletion and duplication analysis as a result of technical limitations of the assay, including regions of homology, high guanine-cytosine (GC) content, and repetitive sequences. Confirmation of select reportable variants will be performed by alternate methodologies based on internal laboratory criteria.

This test is validated to detect 95% of deletions up to 75 base pairs (bp) and insertions up to 47 bp. Deletions-insertions (delins) of 40 or more bp, including mobile element insertions, may be less reliably detected than smaller delins.

Deletion/Duplication Analysis:

This analysis targets single and multi-exon deletions/duplications; however, in some instances single exon resolution cannot be achieved due to isolated reduction in sequence coverage or inherent genomic complexity. Balanced structural rearrangements (such as translocations and inversions) may not be detected.

This test is not designed to detect low levels of mosaicism or to differentiate between somatic and germline variants. If there is a possibility that any detected variant is somatic, additional testing may be necessary to clarify the significance of results.

Genes may be added or removed based on updated clinical relevance. Refer to the Targeted Genes and Methodology Details for Urea Cycle Disorders Gene Panel for the most up to date list of genes included in this test. For detailed information regarding gene specific performance and technical limitations, see Method Description or contact a laboratory genetic counselor.

If the patient has had an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant or a recent blood transfusion, results may be inaccurate due to the presence of donor DNA. Call Mayo Clinic Laboratories for instructions for testing patients who have received a bone marrow transplant.

Reclassification of Variants:

At this time, it is not standard practice for the laboratory to systematically review previously classified variants on a regular basis. The laboratory encourages healthcare providers to contact the laboratory at any time to learn how the classification of a particular variant may have changed over time.

Variant Evaluation:

Evaluation and categorization of variants are performed using published American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology recommendations as a guideline.(1) Other gene-specific guidelines may also be considered. Variants are classified based on known, predicted, or possible pathogenicity and reported with interpretive comments detailing their potential or known significance. Variants classified as benign or likely benign are not reported.

Multiple in silico evaluation tools may be used to assist in the interpretation of these results. The accuracy of predictions made by in silico evaluation tools is highly dependent upon the data available for a given gene, and periodic updates to these tools may cause predictions to change over time. Results from in silico evaluation tools should be interpreted with caution and professional clinical judgement.

1. Richards S, Aziz N, Bale S, et al: Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants: a joint consensus recommendation of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Genet Med. 2015 May;17(5):405-424

2. Brusilow SW, Horwich AL: Urea cycle enzymes. In: Valle D, Antonarakis S, Ballabio A, Beaudet A, Mitchell GA. eds. The Online Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019. Accessed September 08, 2022. Available at https://ommbid.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?sectionid=225084071&bookid=2709&Resultclick=2

3. Haberle J, Burlina A, Chakrapani A, et al: Suggested guidelines for diagnosis and management of urea cycle disorders: First revision. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2019;1-39. doi: 10.1002/jimd.12100

4. Valle D, Simell O: The hyperornithinemias. In: Valle D, Antonarakis S, Ballabio A, Beaudet A, Mitchell GA. eds. The Online Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019. Accessed September 08, 2022. Available at https://ommbid.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?sectionid=225083672&bookid=2709&Resultclick=2

5. Foshci FG, Morelli MC, Savini S, et al: Urea cycle disorders: A case report of a successful liver transplant and a literature review. World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr 7;21(13):4063-4068

6. Ah Mew N, Simpson KL, Gropman AL, et al: Urea cycle disorders overview. In: Adam MP, Everman DB, Mirzaa GM, et al. eds. GeneReviews [Internet]. University of Washington, Seattle; 2003. Updated June 22, 2017. Accessed September 08, 2022. Available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1217/

• Molecular Genetics: Biochemical Disorders Patient Information
• Informed Consent for Genetic Testing
• Blood Spot Collection Card-Spanish Instructions
• Blood Spot Collection Card-Chinese Instructions
• Informed Consent for Genetic Testing (Spanish)
• Blood Spot Collection Instructions
• Targeted Genes and Methodology Details for Urea Cycle Disorders Gene Panel

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and/or Sanger sequencing are performed to test for the presence of variants in coding regions and intron/exon boundaries of the genes analyzed, as well as some other regions that have known disease-causing variants. The human genome reference GRCh37/hg19 build was used for sequence read alignment. At least 99% of the bases are covered at a read depth over 30X. Sensitivity is estimated at above 99% for single nucleotide variants, above 94% for deletions-insertions (delins) less than 40 base pairs (bp), above 95% for deletions up to 75 bp and insertions up to 47 bp. NGS and/or a polymerase chain reaction -based quantitative method is performed to test for the presence of deletions and duplications in the genes analyzed.

There may be regions of genes that cannot be effectively evaluated by sequencing or deletion and duplication analysis as a result of technical limitations of the assay, including regions of homology, high guanine-cytosine (GC) content, and repetitive sequences. See Targeted Genes and Methodology Details for Urea Cycle Disorders Gene Panel for details regarding the targeted genes analyzed and the specific gene regions not routinely covered. (Unpublished Mayo method)

Genes analyzed: ALDH18A1, ARG1, ARG2, ASL, ASS1, CA5A, CPS1, GLUD1, GLUL, NAGS, OAT, OTC, SLC25A13, SLC25A15, SLC7A7, and UMPS

Varies

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• Clients without access to Test Prices can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Prospective clients should contact their Regional Manager. For assistance, contact Customer Service.

This test was developed, and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. This test has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

81443

88233-Tissue culture, skin, solid tissue biopsy (if appropriate)

88240-Cryopreservation (if appropriate)

Sample Reports

Normal and Abnormal sample reports are provided as references for report appearance.

Normal Reports | Abnormal Reports

SI Sample Reports

International System (SI) of Unit reports are provided for a limited number of tests. These reports are intended for international account use and are only available through MayoLINK accounts that have been defined to receive them.

SI Normal Reports | SI Abnormal Reports