Test Catalog

Test Id : A1AFS

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Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Clearance, Feces and Serum

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Overview

Test Catalog

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Diagnosing protein-losing enteropathies

Profile Information
A profile is a group of laboratory tests that are ordered and performed together under a single Mayo Test ID. Profile information lists the test performed, inclusive of the test fee, when a profile is ordered and includes reporting names and individual availability.

Test Id Reporting Name Available Separately Always Performed
AATS Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, S No Yes
A1ATF Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, 24 Hr, F No Yes

Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test

Nephelometry

NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.

Yes

Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Clearance

Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching

a-1-Antitrypsin, F&S

A1A

AAT (Alpha-1-Antitrypsin)

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (A1A) Clearance, Feces and Serum

Anti-Alpha-1-Trypsin

Antitrypsin Fecal Clearance

Intestinal Clearance of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin

Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing

Fecal

Serum

Ordering Guidance

The recommended procedure for protein-losing enteropathy is A1AFS / Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Clearance, Feces and Serum.

Shipping Instructions

Feces and serum should be shipped together. Specimens shipped separately may delay testing.

ORDER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question ID Description Answers
HOURS Hours

Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing

Both feces and serum are required. Blood must be drawn during the stool collection period.

 

Specimen Type: Serum

Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)

Collection Container/Tube: Red top or serum gel

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 1 mL

Collection Instructions: Within 2 hours of collection, centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial

 

Specimen Type: Feces

Supplies: Stool Containers - 24, 48, 72 Hour Kit (T291)

Container/Tube: Stool container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Collection Instructions:

1. Collect a 24-hour fecal collection.

2. If no specimen is obtained within 24 hours, extend collection time to 48 to 72 hours. Document duration.

Forms

If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Test Request (T728) with the specimen.

Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.

Homogenized feces: 1 mL; Serum: 0.5 mL

Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected

Gross hemolysis OK
Gross lipemia Reject
Gross icterus OK
Feces collected in any preservative or fixative Reject

Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Fecal Ambient 14 days
Refrigerated 14 days
Frozen (preferred) 14 days
Serum Ambient 28 days
Refrigerated 28 days
Frozen (preferred) 28 days

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Diagnosing protein-losing enteropathies

Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) is a 54-kDa glycoprotein that is resistant to degradation by digestive enzymes and is, therefore, used as an endogenous marker for the presence of blood proteins in the intestinal tract. AAT clearance is reliable for measuring protein loss distal to the pylorus. A serum sample is required to interpret results as a serum deficiency of AAT would make the AAT fecal excretion lower and could invalidate the test utility.

 

Gastrointestinal protein enteropathy has been associated with regional enteritis, sprue, Whipple intestinal lipodystrophy, gastric carcinoma, allergic gastroenteropathy, intestinal lymphangiectasia, constrictive pericarditis, congenital hypogammaglobulinemia, and iron deficiency anemia associated with intolerance to cow's milk. Increased fecal excretion of AAT can be found in small and large intestine disease and is applicable to adult and children.

Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.

CLEARANCE:

< or =27 mL/24 h

 

FECAL ALPHA-1-ANTRYPSIN CONCENTRATION:

< or =54 mg/dL

 

SERUM ALPHA-1-ANTRYPSIN CONCENTRATION:

100-190 mg/dL

Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results

Elevated alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) clearance suggests excessive gastrointestinal protein loss. The positive predictive value of the test has been found to be 97.7% and the negative predictive value is 75%.

 

Patients with protein-losing enteropathies generally have AAT clearance values greater than 50 mL/24 hours and AAT fecal concentrations above 100 mg/dL.

 

Borderline elevations above the normal range are equivocal for protein-losing enteropathies.

Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances

In the absence of either a 24-hour fecal collection or a contemporary serum specimen, the fecal concentration of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) can be used as a surrogate marker. The clearance test is preferred as it normalizes the large range of serum AAT concentrations and the variability in random fecal AAT concentrations.

 

When gastric loss of AAT is suspected (eg, Menetrier disease), AAT clearance is not a reliable indicator of protein loss as AAT is sensitive to pH less than3 and rapidly destroyed. When gastric protein loss is suspected and the AAT clearance is normal, the recommendation is to repeat testing after starting an acid suppressive medication regime.

 

Urine contamination from patients with kidney failure and increased total protein may adversely affect fecal AAT concentration. Suggest catheterizing patient prior to collection if clinically indicated.

 

Quantitation of specific proteins by nephelometric means may not be possible in lipemic sera due to the extreme light scattering properties of the specimen. Turbidity and particles in the specimen may result in extraneous light scattering signals, resulting in variable specimen analysis.

Supportive Data

Protein-losing enteropathy has been studied by intravenous injection of radioactive chromium chloride or labeled human serum albumin. The correlation between radiochromium and stool alpha-1-antitrypsin clearance has been measured with excellent correlation coefficients.

Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature

1. Florent C, L'Hirondel C, Desmazures C, Aymes C, Bernier JJ. Intestinal clearance of alpha 1-antitrypsin. A sensitive method for the detection of protein losing enteropathy. Gastroenterology. 1981;81(4):777-780

2. Crossley JR, Elliott RB. Simple method for diagnosing protein-losing enteropathies. Br Med J. 1977;1(6058):428-429

3. Perrault J, Markowitz H. Protein-losing gastroenteropathy and the intestinal clearance of serum alpha-1-antitrypsin. Mayo Clin Proc. 1984;59(4):278-279

4. Schmidt PN, Blirup-Jensen S, Svendsen PJ, Wandall JH. Characterization and quantification of plasma proteins excreted in faeces from healthy humans. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1995;55(1):35-45

5. Davidson NO: Intestinal lipid absorption. In: Yamada T, Alpers DH, Kaplowitz N, eds. Textbook of Gastroenterology. JB Lippincott; 2003:413

6. Rybolt AH, Bennett RG, Laughon BE, Thomas DR, Greenough WB 3rd, Bartlett JG: Protein-losing enteropathy associated with Clostridium difficile infection. Lancet. 1989;1(8651):1353-1355

7. Molina JF, Brown RF, Gedalia A, Espinoza LR. Protein losing enteropathy as the initial manifestation of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol. 1996;23(7):1269-1271

8. Umar SB, DiBaise JK. Protein-losing enteropathy: case illustrations and clinical review. Am J Gastroenterol. 2010;105(1):43-49

9. Levitt DG, Levitt MD. Protein losing enteropathy: comprehensive review of the mechanistic association with clinical and subclinical disease states. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2017;10:147-168

10. Murray FR, Morell B, Biedermann L, Schreiner P. Protein-losing enteropathy as precursor of inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature. BMJ Case Rep. 2021;14(1):e238802

Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference

Immunonephelometry quantitates the alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) contained in a 24-hour fecal collection. From the concentration of feces and serum AAT, a 24-hour clearance is calculated. In the absence of a serum specimen or a timed fecal collection, an AAT fecal concentration will be reported.(Instruction manual: Siemens Nephelometer II Operations. Siemens, Inc; Version 2.4, 07/2019)

PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information

No

Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.

Monday through Friday

Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.

1 to 3 days

Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded

2 weeks

Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test

Rochester

Fees :
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.

  • Authorized users can sign in to Test Prices for detailed fee information.
  • Clients without access to Test Prices can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.

Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.

This test has been modified from the manufacturer's instructions. Its performance characteristics were 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.

CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.

CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.

82103 x 2

LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.

Test Id Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
A1AFS Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Clearance 93419-0
Result Id Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
AAT24 Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, 24 Hr, F 9407-8
CRCLR Clearance 18271-7
AATS Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, S 6771-0

Test Setup Resources

Setup Files
Test setup information contains test file definition details to support order and result interfacing between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and your Laboratory Information System.

Excel | Pdf

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