Serotonin is normally metabolized in the liver to a number of metabolites, most of which is 5-HIAA.
In a person who has ingested ethanol production of 5-HIAA is reduced and 5-HTOL is increased. This reversal persists for several hours after ethanol can no longer be detected in the urine.
Parameters:
(1) urinary ethanol level
(2) urinary 5-HTOL in pmol/L
(3) urinary 5-HIAA in nmol/L
ratio of urinary 5-HTOL to urinary 5-HIAA =
= (concentration of 5-HTOL in pmol/L) / (concentration of 5-HIAA in nmol/L)
Interpretation:
• The ratio of urinary 5-HTOL to 5-HIAA is normally <= 15 pmol/nmol
|
Urinary Ethanol
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5-HTOL to 5-HIAA
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Interpretation
|
|
not elevated
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not elevated
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no evidence of ethanol ingestion or in vitro production
|
|
not elevated
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elevated
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remote ethanol ingestion
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|
elevated
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not elevated
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in vitro ethanol production
|
|
elevated
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elevated
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recent ethanol ingestion
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where:
• The concentrations of 5-HTOL and 5-HIAA are relatively stable over time.
• The molecular weight of 5-HIAA is 191.19
• The molecular weight of 5-HTOL is 177.2
• The quantities of these compounds is low, so accurate and reliable analytical methods are required.
